News Release 574

MISSOURI AIR COMMISSION CONSIDERING ODOR RECOMMENDATIONS, REQUESTING MORE INFORMATION

Volume 35-574

Contact: Renee Bungart

(For immediate release)

573-751-4465

JEFFERSON CITY, MO, DEC. 11, 2007 --The Missouri Air Conservation Commission has decided to take some additional time to gather information on several topics relevant to the state odor regulations before providing specific direction to the Missouri Department of Natural Resources.

State statute gives the commission the authority to promulgate regulations pertaining to odor. The commission has been considering information and recommendations from an odor workgroup that met earlier this year, as well as a recommendation from the department. Numerous interested parties have also shared their perspectives with the commission in recent months.

"The department has seen an increase in the number of odor complaints since the last revision was made to the odor regulations 10 years ago," said Michael Foresman, chairman of the Air Commission. "It is our hope that the odor regulations can be revised so that they are more reflective of the situation as it stands today."  

The commission met in an open meeting Wednesday night to discuss the information provided to them from both the workgroup and the department. The commission has requested department staff provide more information on several possible actions considered at that meeting. These actions include the possibility of requiring new facilities in any industry to do a complete odor source evaluation and develop an odor compliance plan before any construction could be approved. Along that line of thought, the commission is also considering requiring existing facilities to update odor source evaluations and compliance plans to ensure all facilities are operating with odor compliance in mind.

Other possibilities derived from the commission's Wednesday night meeting include the need for guidance on minimum buffer distances for new facilities, clarification on the definition of modifications to existing facilities to determine what would trigger additional odor compliance plans and extending odor efforts to smaller Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations. Currently, Class IA are the only ones with odor regulations. Class IA CAFOs, which are the largest, contain 7,000 animal units or more.  

Commissioner Gary Pendergrass followed these suggestions with his thought that more time needs to be spent looking at the technical aspects of each operation. He encouraged both agricultural and industrial sources to take the time to see that their facilities are doing just that.  "Odor problems can be prevented if facilities are operating properly," said Pendergrass. "There are technical solutions to odor issues experienced at any facility."

The Department of Natural Resources' Air Pollution Control Program staff will continue to gather information for the commission on the possibilities presented at the commission meeting yesterday. The commission plans to meet again for deliberation on the odor recommendations on Feb. 6.  The commission will consider more information provided to them by department staff and work toward achieving consensus on a final recommendation. A location for this meeting will be announced in the future.

For news releases on the Web, visit www.dnr.mo.gov/newsrel. For a complete listing of the department's upcoming meetings, hearings and events, visit the department's online calendar at www.dnr.mo.gov/calendar/search.do.

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