Neighbors in Anatolia have a burning desire to rid the air of the foul stench of rotten flesh. The smell is the rendering plant on Sunrise blvd. and Kiefer. There has been a recent spike in the frustrations with the awful odor emanating from the plant which burns road kill for Sacramento county and surrounding areas.
Angela Davy, the Sacramento Metropoitan Air Quality inspector who regularly visits the plant, is requesting that complaints about the smell be submitted either through their website at www.airquality.org programs->complaints or by calling locally 874-4800 or toll free 1-800-880-9025. According to Angela, the plant is usually not burning on Sundays for clean up, but the plant typically gets deliveries during the day and burns later from 3:00 p.m. to 11:00 p.m. everyday.
The Sacramento Rendering Co. has occupied its 11350 Kiefer Blvd. site since 1955, long before there were any housing developments in sight. There were 165 recorded complaints in 2007 and 23 complaints so far this year, according to air quality records. The rendering company had 23 units inspected over 11 days in 2007 and 19 units inspected so far in 2008 over eight days, according to air quality records. Seven violations were recorded in 2007, according to air quality records. The plant has had no violations in 2008.
In 2003 the builders and developers of the Anatolia sub-division filed a lawsuit in an attempt to require Sacramento Rendering Company to install costly scrubbers to reduce the smell. SRC prevailed when the lawsuit was thrown out of court based on a state law that protects agricultural processing facilities established for more than three years in the same location. The developer was also required to repay the attorney fees for Sacramento Rendering Company.
That summer Sacramento County planning officials passed a resolution that the developer could not obtain any building permits until the odor equipment was installed. This required the developer to spend $2.7 million to install scrubbers at the plant to reduce the smell. These liquid filled cylinders trap and absorb the gas produced by the burning carcasses. There is some question as to whether or not the scrubbers are being used or turned off to save on electrical costs. The estimated maintenance cost to run the scrubbers, at the time of installation, was $30,000 to $35,000 per month.
Mark Loutzenhiser, program supervisor at the air quality district, says “A lot of those things that we think of as being odors are often times flammable. So if you burn them, you can break them down from whatever their formula was into carbon dioxide so you hopefully don’t smell it.”
The Sacramento Metropolitan Air Quality Management District is the public agency responsible for monitoring the proper use of the scrubbers and imposing monetary fines for violations. The plant has been cited in the past by SMAQMD for violations and by the Water Quality Control Board for waste spillage. In May of 2007 SRC was required to pay $20,220 in penalties for violations which occurred in 2005 & 2006. SRC failed to maintain several of their water feeds at the minimum gallons per minute (gpm), failed to operate their spray tower scrubber while rendering and failed to properly maintain flow meter equipment.
As more homes are built in Anatolia, Mather and Kavala Ranch it appears clear that plant manager Bill Eckstein knows his days on Kiefer blvd are numbered. When will the plant find a more remote location remains to be seen. It probably depends on the will of the residents and the willingness of the City of Rancho Cordova to make it happen.
Mike Linville, a resident of Anatolia has created a useful website for following the battle with the rendering plant. His website www.whatisthatsmell.net provides the ability to rate the day’s smell, follow recent developments in the news, and link to the SMAQMD complaint form.
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This “controversy” reminds me of people who buy a house at the end of a runway, then complain about the aircraft noise; or buy a house next to a farm and complain about equipment noise, dust & fertilizer odor. To the Anatolians who are oh-so-upset: the rendering plant has been there for more than 50 years, people. If you didn’t notice it, that’s not their fault.
Involving the bureaucrats to harass the company is the classic California tactic, of dictating to someone else how they can use their property. If you want to control what happens on the SRC property, try this novel approach: Buy it.
By that logic, people who buy a home in California should not complain (or do anything) about the smog or the greenhouse effect because our air pollution has been here for over 50 years, or complain about illegal immigration (or do anything about it) because Mexico has been there over 233 years longer than our country.
It’s not a question of fault but one of living together as good neighbors. It’s not a question of control but of simply following the rules. There are air quality rules that all rendering plants must follow, just like there are good neighbor rules that all homeowners do follow.
I realize it may be hard to empathize when it does not involve you.
> By that logic, people who buy a home in California should not complain (or do anything) about the smog
> or the greenhouse effect because our air pollution has been here for over 50 years, or complain about
> illegal immigration (or do anything about it) because Mexico has been there over 233 years longer
> than our country.
This statement is a logical fallacy. See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reductio_ad_absurdum
If something bothers you, don’t buy a house next door to it. It’s a very simple concept, and it is completely unrelated to the history of Mexico.
You may want to review not only your logic and emphathy, but your history as well: 233 years is actually the history of America!
I think the point the Anatolian was making is that America still has the right to insist of its next-door neighbors to follow the rules, like air quality laws, etc., even when the neighbor has been there over 233 years, longer than our country.
It’s ok, I know it is hard for you.
> You may want to review not only your logic and emphathy, but your history as well:
> 233 years is actually the history of America!
I was making fun of the Anatolian’s argument.
It’s OK, I know it’s hard for you, too.
I have been working the real estate market in Anatolia for some time now and never notice the smell from the Rendering Plant. I have sold several homes there and my clients have told me that they really don’t notice it either. I think it is mostly at night the the smell kicks up and most people are asleep then. There are lots of great homes and great deals in Anatolia. http://www.sellinganatolia.wordpress.com
The common statement from the plant that they do not burn on Sundays is a lie. It’s very convient that they just happen to burn on weekends and after hours, when inspectors are not working.
There are lots of deals in Anatolia because we live on top of a toxic dump, have no supermarket within 5 miles, live right next to a major airport, and have the smells from this rendering plant. This place is a terrible place to live and I can’t wait until my house sells.
Mike, please give me information about, or any pending MLS# on, your house, if you are serious. I’m looking to buy in Anatolia.
>> Involving the bureaucrats to harass the company is the classic California tactic, of dictating to someone else how they can use their property.
That’s right Rob. Get used to it. I am sick of seeing you and your ilk’s same whiny little post whenever this issue arises on message boards.
You live in a patheticly liberal state where we are all victims that need convienience, protection, and entitlements. If ever the population out here grows enough to sway a local election your precious little plant will be on its way out. Ha ha ha.
Don’t worry, your safe for now. Your glorious little plant’s only long term hope at remaining open is to hire all illegal immigrants. That will keep everyone off your backs.
>> This place is a terrible place to live and I can’t wait until my house sells.
Mike, .. you’re a moron. It’s always a smart move to bash the place so a prospective buyer of your property can see it. If you really lived here you would know Anatolia is a nice place to live and a great family community.
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