BATESVILLE, Ark. — The foul smell wafting from Batesville’s two major poultry plants—Ozark Mountain Poultry (OMP, now owned by George’s Inc.) and Peco Foods Inc.—has residents frustrated, prompting Mayor Rick Elumbaugh to address the issue at a city council meeting. As two of Independence County’s largest employers, the plants have long been a source of sporadic odor complaints despite some efforts to mitigate the problem.
Elumbaugh has been pushing for solutions since 2019, when he requested upgrades to reduce the stench, but progress has been slow. He recently learned from OMP’s attorney that the company’s wastewater volumes don’t justify a new treatment plant, despite earlier plans two to three years ago. The mayor stressed the plants’ economic importance to the community while urging them to act as better stewards, a balance complicated by corporate resistance.
Public Works Engineer Damon Johnson pointed to sludge handling in the plants’ wastewater treatment process as a likely culprit, noting that air exchanges during tank emptying for off-site disposal often intensify the odor. Cool air from the nearby river can worsen the spread, especially during late-night hauls. Elumbaugh added that spills from third-party haulers of poultry renderings—like chicken fat and organs—have compounded the issue, with one driver fleeing after a spill on Harrison Street, prompting police follow-ups.
Arkansas law offers little recourse, as the state protects agricultural industries and lacks regulations for nuisance odors, unlike some states such as Texas. The Arkansas Department of Environmental Quality (ADEQ) has been called by residents but found no harmful emissions, focusing only on health risks, not smells. This leaves the city in a bind, unable to enforce air pollution rules, which are controlled by the state.
Alderman Robb Roberts suggested measuring the odor to identify its source, noting that other states use technology to monitor such issues. A past study proposal to do so was priced at $150,000, but no action was taken. Roberts proposed a facilitated meeting with plant representatives and a community advocate to tackle the problem collaboratively, acknowledging it won’t be solved quickly.
Elumbaugh and Johnson remain committed to working with the plants, wary of jeopardizing their presence while addressing community frustration. For now, Batesville residents hope for a solution to clear the air around the poultry plants’ persistent odor.
