Massachusetts attorney general sues food waste company for odor emissions

The Massachusetts Attorney General’s Office has sued Feedback Earth, a food waste conversion company, alleging it has been releasing noxious odors that impact neighboring residents.

As reported by the Worcester Business Journal, the lawsuit requests a preliminary injunction requiring Feedback Earth to eliminate the odors, which the attorney general claims are due to unsanitary facility conditions and continued environmental permit violations.

The lawsuit alleges that the Grafton, Massachusetts-based company improperly stored food waste, processed spoiled food and failed to notify the state Department of Environmental Protection (MassDEP) before changing its operation.

According to the attorney general, emitted odors worsened over the summer when the company began processing lobster shells without permission from MassDEP. Feedback Earth received hundreds of complaints from residents within several miles of the facility after it started accepting the material.

Resident affidavits used as part of the attorney general’s motion claim Feedback Earth changed its complain hotline number, encouraged residents to make reports outside MassDEP’s mandated hotline and visited complainants’ homes unannounced.

The lawsuit comes following MassDEP fined Feedback Earth $6,000 in December for state permit violations and $9,520 in June 2022 for air pollution and solid waste regulation violations, reports the Worcester Business Journal.

“Every community deserves fresh air and responsible neighbors," Attorney General Andrea Joy Campbell says in a news release regarding the lawsuit. "No one should be unable to enjoy their yard, walk their neighborhood, or open their windows because a company, even one with an important mission, is prioritizing its business over complying with reasonable and sound environmental laws and regulations that protect the health of our residents."