September 14, 2005

Manure Stinks Up Entire Town

Fox News
Compiled by FOXNews.com's Paul Wagenseil

Something's rotten in the state of Iowa.

Locals in the town of Zearing went to city hall on Monday, fed up with what they say is an awful stench coming from a company that washes livestock trucks.

"If I wanted to smell that smell, I'd live on a farm," said resident Joe Blessing.

Blessing, who lives three blocks from the Reed Trucking Company's (search) new facility, said he'd thrown up in his home on Friday, according to the Tribune of Ames, Iowa.

Mary Jo Henze said the reek hasn't gotten to her own house yet, but it's just a matter of time.

"The smell is so bad in my friend's home," she said, "when you open the door it knocks you in the face."

Last fall, Reed Trucking got a permit to dump refuse from the new building, in which up to six trucks a day are washed, into the municipal sewer system. Things were fine over the winter, but come warm weather, Zearing got pretty stinky.

"We're all thinking this is just a little fishy," said Blessing, noting that company owner Rich Reed is the son of Zearing's mayor.

Dale Fisher, vice president of a Des Moines water-treatment company, explained that Reed Trucking needs to filter out the solids — in other words, manure — before the waste water goes into the sewer system.

Reed said he's installing drains with smaller holes that will catch more solid waste.

In any case, things could always be worse.

High exposure to toxic hydrogen sulfide (search), a by-product of manure decomposition, would deaden human noses, said waste-water expert Dennis White. Since the people of Zearing can still smell the stink, they're safe for now.