By Myrna Trauntvein
Times-News Correspondent
As of March 4, six complaints have been made to the
county attorney about offensive odors emanating from the
John Kuhni Sons rendering plant in Juab County.
"The Juab County Sheriff's office has verified five
of the complaints," said Jared Eldridge, county attorney,
in a letter sent to the owner of the animal rendering
facility, Kevin Kuhni.
At Monday's county commission meeting,
commissioners determined that they would not jerk the
license of the rendering facility until they had talked
to Kuhni officials "face-to-face."
That meeting was expected to take place on Friday,
March 11, at 10 a.m. when the state division of water
quality is to be at the county building to discuss
options for a permanent wastewater plan with Kevin Kuhni
and other plant officials.
Wastewater is being hauled in tanker trucks to
Provo. However, that arrangement must change by July.
The meeting is not open to the public, but a
commissioner has been invited to attend. Eldridge has
also been invited to attend.
"I will put it to them (Kuhni officials) that
unless they operate without offensive odor, we will
revoke their business license," said Neil Cook,
commission chairman who was selected to be the
commissioner to attend the meeting.
Perry Davis, Juab County Deputy Attorney, told
commissioners that, in his opinion, it would be wise to
meet with Kuhni's at a commission meeting.
"If you are going to bring it up, it should be in a
public meeting," said Davis.
Cook said he would report on what happened at the
meeting with the state at the next commission meeting in
March.
The animal rendering plant stirred trouble with its
Provo neighbors before moving to Juab County and in the
few months that it has been operating, it has already
aroused the ire of Juab County Commissioners.
John Kuhni Sons Inc. moved to the town of Mills, 17
miles south of Nephi, after Provo and the State Board of
Business and Economic Development kicked in $4.8 million
to help pay for a move that cost Kuhni's another $1
million out of its own pocket.
Provo Mayor Lewis Billings included the relocation
on his list of achievement highlights for the city in
2004 during his recent State of the City address.
The new plant started operating in December and
within two months' time has racked up two violations for
illegal dumping and six for odor problems.
The latest of the odor problems occurred on Feb. 28
at 9:34 p.m. The complaint was verified by a deputy with
the sheriff's office.
The rendering plant disposes of carcasses and dead
animal parts from slaughterhouses, animal shelters,
agricultural operations, road kill cleanups, meat cutting
facilities, restaurants and veterinary services.
Eldridge said Juab County has sent warning letters
to the plant's managers and could pull the company's
business license and shut the plant down if problems
persist.
"The odor is something we do have control over,"
said Robert Steele, commissioner.
Condition number then of the conditional use permit
authorized by the Juab County Planning Commission states
that "No gases, vapors or gas entrained effluents
resulting from the rendering process shall be emitted to
the atmosphere unless treated in accordance with the OCS
(Odor Control System."
In addition, the permit also states, "The rendering
facility shall not operate unless the Odor Control System
is operating and in full use. The Juab County Zoning
Administrator shall be notified within two hours of any
breakdown that allows the release of odors to the
atmosphere."
Though the rendering plant emitted unreasonably
offensive or noxious odors that were objectionable to
people beyond the property line because the odor control
system was not operating or in full use, the plant
continued to operate.
In addition, the plant failed to give notice to the
Juab County Zoning Administrator within two hours of the
breakdown.
Eldridge said that, in addition to the odor
problems, dumping of animal waste was dumped into large
trenches on the property which were originally created as
percolation test trenches.
The dumping occurred just 100 feet from a water
well, said Eldridge. Then wastewater escaped from the
plant during an equipment malfunction and drained into a
nearby dry creek bed.
Kuhni's management says in each of the cases, the
trouble came from the kinds of problems that often go
with starting up a new plant.
State water quality officials have taken samples in
the areas where the dumping occurred to assess whether
there is potential for long-term contamination.
"In addition to talking about a permanent
wastewater plan," said Robert Steele, commissioner, "the
state will address the issue of their dumping into the
open pits and wastewater overflow which occurred."
Commissioner Val Jones said he had driven past
Kuhni's on his way south. He had seen all the doors open
and he had understood, he said, that the air control
system did not operate properly in those conditions.
