Texas Sues Facility That Smells Like ‘Boiling Blood’
Bastrop, Texas (Getty/Jacob Boomsma)
Neighbors in a fast-growing Central Texas town say the air has become unbearable—and now the state is taking action. Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton has filed a lawsuit against Darling Ingredients, which operates a rendering plant in Bastrop, accusing the company of releasing foul odors and air pollutants in violation of state permits and environmental laws. Residents describe the smell as a mix of dog food, burning feathers, boiling blood, and even death. According to the lawsuit, the stench has become a persistent nuisance that makes it difficult for people to enjoy their homes, the Houston Chronicle reports.
The lawsuit also claims the plant has emitted hydrogen sulfide, a gas with a rotten-egg odor that can irritate the eyes, nose, and throat. Additionally, the suit says Darling Ingredients failed to properly maintain equipment, monitor pH levels, and keep required records. Paxton is asking a judge to impose civil penalties and require immediate fixes, such as odor control measures, real-time hydrogen sulfide monitoring, and oversight by independent experts—but he is not seeking to shut the plant down.
Darling Ingredients said it will respond in court and emphasized that it remains “committed to being a good neighbor,” directing residents to a website detailing its efforts to address concerns.
Bastrop, located about 30 miles southeast of Austin, has become a test case for how far the law can go in regulating odors and air pollution. The state Commission on Environmental Quality reports receiving hundreds of complaints over the past three years, according to KXAN. City Councilwoman Joy Casnovsky welcomed the lawsuit but said she wishes the state had acted sooner. “It shouldn’t be on me—a mom, just a regular person—to constantly file complaints, attend hearings, or educate myself on all of these issues,” she said. “I just want people to do their job, and I want the pollution to stop.”
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