Thermal Depolymerization plant closed

Despite the nasty odor that drifted through much of downtown Carthage on Thursday, Renewable Environmental Solutions Plant Manager Don Sanders says his plant will be odor free.

“Our goal is to operate at 100 percent with little to no odors,” said Sanders on Friday morning. “We will do that.”

Carthage Fire Chief John Cooper said Thursday’s northeast wind brought numerous phone calls to his department regarding the smell which was determined to be coming from the RES plant just east of Butterball.

“It’s kind of like singed hair,” said Cooper.

He said the RES plant shut down production after complaints about the smell were raised. They later resumed production, then shut the plant down again after the smell resurfaced.

Sanders said the plant was operating Friday morning until another problem surfaced.

Sanders said odor complaints were first made back when the plant was operating at 20 percent of capacity. Modifications were then made to the process, and production was increased to 50 percent, then 75 percent, with modifications at each step.

Lately, the RES plant has been operating at 100 percent of capacity, and once again, modifications are being made to the thermal depolymerization process that converts materials from the Butterball plant into oils, gases, carbons and materials that can be used as fertilizer.

Plant officials have “bent over backwards” to eliminate the odor problem, said Cooper.

“They are trying to alleviate the problem,” he said, also noting that he estimates that about half the time the Fire Department receives calls about RES odors, the smell is coming from elsewhere.

Regardless, RES officials say that as the plant is fine-tuned, they will eliminate the odor problem.

“We are optimistic,” said Sanders. “It’s just a matter of time.”