Protein Solutions subject of two more odor complaints
By Wally Kennedy
Protein Solutions, a manufacturer of flavored broth and pet-food ingredients at East 32nd Street and Stephens Boulevard, is the subject of two odor complaints this month.
Paul Vitzthum, with the Missouri Department of Natural Resource’s air-pollution control program in Springfield, on Wednesday said the complaints were filed on Oct. 1 and Oct. 18.
“There was odor, but it was not in violation,’’ he said.
The Oct. 18 complaint was filed by Tom Johnston Jr., who lives on Duquesne Road north of East 32nd Street. Johnston filed a petition with the city and local elected officials in August that sought corrective action for the odor emitted by the plant. The petition contained the signatures of 47 of Johnston’s residential and business neighbors.
“It seemed like the situation got better for a while, and then gradually got worse and worse,’’ Johnston said. “I complained to the DNR, but I don’t know that they did anything.’’
Johnston said that within a day or two of his complaint, the odor had cleared up.
“With the change in the season, houses will be more shut up,’’ he said. “The winds will shift to northerly and the odor will bother someone else other than me.’’
Johnston said there have been other times when the odor from Protein Solutions has been noticeable, but that he did not think it would rise to the level where enforcement action was needed.
“This one time on Oct. 18 I thought it might,” he said. “But, if they got there 24 hours later, it might not have been at the actionable level when they got there.”
After the petition was filed, Joplin City Manager Mark Rohr met with officials of the company, which agreed to provide periodic information to the city about its effort to correct or diminish the odor problem.
Matt Wojnowski, assistant to the city manager, on Wednesday said the company has kept the city abreast of developments at the plant, which is operating in the former Herrod Packing Co. building.
Wojnowski said, “Based on the last communication with them, they plan to have new equipment installed at the plant by the middle of the month. The new equipment is supposed to help the odor problem.’’
Protein Solutions is a subsidiary of 3D Corporate Solutions, based in Monett. The company has a sister plant to the one in Joplin at Centerville, Ark. Representatives of the company in Joplin and Monett could not be reached for comment on Wednesday on whether the pollution-control equipment had been installed.
The plant was issued a notice of violation in early November 2006 by the DNR for emitting excessive odors. A second notice of violation was issued later in that same month.
Rene Bungart, spokeswoman for the DNR’s air-pollution control program, said resolution of the violations is still pending in that the agency and the company have not reached an agreement.
The chicken parts purchased by Protein Solutions are from poultry-processing plants in Southwest Missouri and Northwest Arkansas. The company has 160 employees, including 75 in Joplin. The annual payroll is $2.8 million.
Ingredients
The Protein Solutions plant in Joplin buys chilled chicken parts, including livers, to process into flavored broth, chicken oils and dehydrated pet-food palatines. The company makes fresh and frozen blends of chicken for the pet-food industry.