Odor came from farm, not compost plant
Ad Crable
Lancaster New Era <http://www.lancnews.com>
http://www.lancnews.com
02/21/98
(Copyright 1998 Lancaster Newspapers)
The state has cited the A&M Composting Plant because of an
offensive odor, but may drop the action after determining the smell
was actually coming from dead turkeys on a neighboring farm that had
been hit by avian influenza.
A&M owner J.P. Mascaro & Sons was cited on Jan. 14 after a visit
by an inspector for the state Department of Environmental Protection.
However, A&M engineer David C. Brown protested to DEP that the
odor actually came from a farm across the road from the Penn Township
sludge-composting plant, according to Francis Fair, DEP's regional
waste management manager.
Turkeys killed because of the influenza outbreak, as well as
composting manure, were responsible for the smell, A&M's Brown told
DEP.
Fair said DEP confirmed the situation and is reconsidering its
action. No action was taken against the farm.
The agency also is reviewing its position on another A&M matter.
DEP had informed A&M last month of an apparent violation of its
beneficial-use permit. Treated compost from the plant was being
stored at a Berks County nursery as a waste, not recycled for
beneficial use, DEP informed A&M.
However, the nursery owner said the agency misunderstood his
earlier comments, according to Fair. The compost was being stored as
part of a topsoil-manufacturing process, the owner said.
Fair said the agency is working with A&M and the nursery to make
improvements that would speed the process and get compost off the
site quicker.
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