Egg-processing plant in Adrian cited for odor, equipment violations
ADRIAN — An egg-processing plant in Adrian has been cited by Michigan environmental regulators for odor and equipment violations.
Crimson Holdings LLC, which is operated by OvaInnovations of Madison, Wisconsin, purchased the former Dairy Farmers of America plant on East Maumee Street in December and switched the plant from making powdered milk to powdered eggs used in pet food. The company acknowledged in a letter sent on Wednesday to The Daily Telegram that the process of heating the eggs to turn them into a powder product converts the sulfur in the eggs into hydrogen sulfide, which has the “rotten egg” smell.
Hydrogen sulfide can be smelled well before it reaches a level where it would affect health, the letter said.
The Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy’s (EGLE) Air Quality Division has issued violation notices in an ongoing investigation related to numerous complaints of offensive odors from residents living near the plant, a news release issued Friday by EGLE said. EGLE, the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services, Lenawee County Health Department and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency were onsite Thursday continuing to investigate sources of the odors and ways to address them.
EGLE staff have inspected the facility and conducted several complaint investigations to look into the odors, the release said. This has identified violations of Michigan’s air pollution control rules and issued violations for:
Changing an exhaust stack without a permit.
Odor violations noticed on May 23, 24 and 25. “Foul” odors were detected up to four-tenths of a mile from the plant and affected residential areas and commercial properties, according to EGLE’s violation notice.
Changing a process without submitting the appropriate request to modify the existing permit. The company must respond to this violation notice by June 2.
When a violation notice is sent to a company, it must respond with a plan to address the issues cited, the release said. The company’s response is reviewed by EGLE staff to make sure the response addresses the issue appropriately. EGLE then ensures the plan is completed and it solves the problem.
“In this case, the company has been looking for a solution to address odors, even prior to a violation notice being sent,” the release said. “The company has informally provided steps they will take to address the odors but will be required to submit a written plan in response to the violation notice.”
“Since we were first made aware of the odor complaints, we acted immediately,” Crimson Holding’s letter to the Telegram said.
Some of the company’s activities to correct the problem have been delayed by supply chain issues, but it has developed a list of action items, the letter said.
In March, Crimson hired Fishbeck, an engineering and environmental science firm, to help identify the part of the process that is the source of the odors and steps it can take to mitigate the odors.
The exhaust stack was modified by the company’s previous owner and Crimson was not aware of the problem until it was notified by the state, Crimson said in its response to EGLE’s notice about the stack. In its letter to the Telegram, Crimson said Fishbeck also noticed the stack "should vent unobstructed, vertically upwards. The current configuration allows odors to sweep over the building toward Church Street, rather than dissipating further out.”
Crimson met in April with the Marriott Walker Corp., a company that provides equipment for the food processing industry, about the stack, the letter said. Marriott Walker recommended increasing the stack height to 16 feet above the rooftop.
“We are working through the engineering and design process as quickly as possible,” the letter said. “As of the date of this letter (May 20), the preliminary design has been approved and Marriott Walker is working with a fabricator and installer on costs and timeline to install. Unfortunately, no matter how quickly we move, the supply chain challenges are significant, and we cannot definitively predict when materials will be available, or the stack will be available for installation.”
Some short-term plans Crimson is working on, the letter said, include installing odor-treatment products.
“It should be noted that getting information from the odor treatment vendors has been challenging to say the least,” the letter said. “Most believe the composition of their product is proprietary and have not been respectful of Michigan’s toxic air contaminant rules.”
Before using the fogging system the company bought, it had to test the materials in it to make sure it would not replace the odor with toxic air contaminants, the letter said.
The system was delivered May 19 and the company planned to install it this week and begin testing it. Results from using the fogging system should be immediate, the letter said.
"We will continue testing these products for the next month varying the application rates and products until the best option is found,” the letter said. “During this time, we will be monitoring the odors and would like to receive feedback from the community to verify that the odor issue is being resolved. Once we are finished testing products, we will select one and are committed to its continued use to mitigate odors.”
The company has set up an online complaint form at tinyurl.com/Adrianeggodors where people can provide updates on the odors.
EGLE also has an air quality complaint form online at tinyurl.com/EGLEAQcomplaint. People may also call EGLE at 800-292-4706.
This article originally appeared on The Daily Telegram: Egg-processing plant in Adrian cited for odor, equipment violations
