Town gives green technology Asian carp processing plant 30 days to get rid of foul odor or be closed

Illinois River at Marseilles

What to do?

Asian carp now comprise by weight seventy-percent of the fish biomass of the Illinois River.

One solution: Build a fish processing plant transforming the unwanted carp into fish meal, bone meal, and Omega-3 oil at the southern end of the river. So far, so good.

But the plant utilizes green technology and an odor-free facility was promised.

Uh oh.

From the Alton Telegraph:

American Heartland Fish Products has 30 days to abate a nuisance odor caused by its fish plant operations or it must cease operations until they achieve elimination of reported and confirmed malodorous smells, an appeal hearing ruling determined Wednesday morning.

Grafton Police Chief Chris Sullivan filed the ruling’s written order Wednesday immediately following the appeal hearing’s conclusion. Sullivan presided over the proceedings at the hearing that started at 9 a.m. Wednesday at City Hall on behalf of the city of Grafton. Grafton Mayor Tom Thompson gave Sullivan the authority because the police department has been involved in confirming the presence of odor in proximity of American Heartland's Asian carp rendering plant when complaints were made to city officials.

"We, the city, can fine them or shut them down," Sullivan said to people gathered at City Hall to witness the legal procedure.

Related post:

Neighbors complain about odor from green-technology Asian carp processing plant