The Pilgrim’s Pride poultry plants in downtown Chattanooga last month were fined nearly $7,000 in penalties and fees for three violations over the past 18 months involving odor problems, documents show.
The Chattanooga-Hamilton County Air Pollution Control Bureau, responding to a complaint related to the 1591 Broad St. “kill plant” last Aug. 5, said that bay doors had been left open and a fan that disperses liquid for odor control wasn’t operating. Also, an odor control mister outside near a fence wasn’t operating, it said. In addition, there was a buildup of “chicken litter” where the animals are trucked in from about 200 farms in the area, the documents said.
“The litter was 1-inch thick, five inches wide and 50 inches long,” a report said.
Also, another incident was recorded at the Broad Street plant just five days later on Aug. 10, where an odor neutralizer didn’t appear to be on, and there was a buildup of chicken litter near where the animals were staged, the documents said.
In addition, responding to a complaint on Sept. 6, 2018, concerning the “deboning plant” at 1300 Market St. near the Chattanooga Choo Choo, the bureau said the company was alleged to have failed to cover a trailer with a tarp, left a bay door open to a vending area and that a trailer loaded with product from the Broad Street facility was leaking a liquid into a storm drain.
All three of the violations were heard at the December hearing before Bureau Director Robert Colby with penalties and enforcement costs handed down last month, documents showed. Read more from the Chattanooga Times Free Press.
