RESIDENTS of one city have been plagued by a foul-smelling issue for almost a year and there is no end in sight.
Those living in Freeman, South Dakota, have taken aim at a local rendering plant that they say has left their homes smelling like “rotting flesh”.
The Dakota Protein Solutions (DPS) plant on the edge of the city is the subject of local frustration.
When animal by-products are converted into items such as meat and bone meal and diesel fuel, the process releases unpleasant smelling gases into the atmosphere. This has been happening ever since the facility commenced operations nearly a year ago.
Now, residents are saying the problem is so bad it is affecting their quality of life, per Mitchell Republic.
Even the plant’s former manager Dan Heiman, who left recently, told the outlet in April that the situation is “not acceptable”.
Nearby landowner Larry Timmerman told the news outlet that he can smell the plant from two miles away while in his fields.
Locals have described the smell as a combination of “dead animal and cooked rotting flesh”.
Maurice Waltner, the Sheriff of Hutchinson County who owns a farm in close proximity to the plant, expressed his frustration by stating, “Regardless of the wind direction, I can almost always detect the odor.”
He also highlighted his fears that summer heat will make the already untenable situation even worse.
Before the DPS plant opened, a smaller rendering facility was in its place but residents say the problem was never this bad before.
Prior to opening, the company had reassured those living nearby that modern technology would quash foul smells.
Recently, the plant took the initiative to address the problem by sending a formal letter to the Freeman City Council. In the communication, they not only expressed regret for the situation but also attributed the issue to complexities related to ventilation and chemical processes.
“We are actively working on this,” the letter assured officials.
However, onlookers are not convinced.
‘DEAD FLESH’
Troy Brooks aimed to build a property in the area, but ended up changing his plans and moving to Minnesota instead due to the smell and the town’s mismanagement of the facility.
He accused city officials of using Freeman residents like “guinea pigs” by testing the failing technology on them.
“The selling point was there’s not going to be smells,” he told the news outlet.
“But it’s dead flesh — there’s no way to make it not stink. It was supposed to be new cutting edge technology and Freeman residents were guinea pigs.”
“It needs to be shut down until they can deliver what was promised,” Timmerman added.
“They’re on their third company trying to fix the smell. Clearly, they didn’t know what they were doing in the first place.”
DPS insists that it is working on improving the issue.
Despite also being investigated by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, the plant remains open.
The safety inspection was launched in December after a formal complaint was made.
The U.S. Sun has reached out to Freeman Mayor Michael Walter and DPS for comment.
