Officials want investigation of odors at Gelatin plant
Published on July 16th, 2008
WOBURN, MA - City officials intend to seek help from a federal agency after a handful of East Woburn residents said this week a foul odor is emanating from the Atlantic Gelatin plant in East Woburn.
At its most recent meeting, the City Council voted to send a letter to the Occupational Health & Safety Administration (OSHA), asking it to "look into the working environments" at Atlantic Gelatin, a subsidiary of Kraft Foods.
The council also voted to set up a meeting of its Liaison Committee with officials from Atlantic Gelatin and the city's Board of Health to discuss the odor. No date for the meeting has been confirmed.
"The smell is like dead animals," said Mayor Thomas McLaughlin. "We don't know what's causing it."
Thus far, the city has received "limited cooperation" from Atlantic Gelatin, according to the mayor. McLaughlin said he expects "full cooperation," short of which "we'll have to look at a legal option."
Ward 5 Alderman Darlene Mercer-Bruen said she has received complaints from residents about the foul odor for about 2 1/2 years. She said she and Board of Health agent Jack Fralick have met with officials from Atlantic Gelatin, who insisted they "have not changed any of their processes."
"You could smell the smell as soon as you walked in the building," said Mercer-Bruen. "It's not anyone's imagination."
Mercer-Bruen also noted she and Fralick "weren't allowed past the (reception) desk," and said Kraft officials - which are renowned for keeping their corporate secrets - advised residents who complain about the odor to contact them instead of city officials.
"Kraft is very reluctant to have meetings in public," she said.
Alderman at-large Paul Denaro suggested involving OSHA.
"I'm worried about our first responders and their (Kraft's) employees. Let OSHA do a full inspection," said Denaro, a comment which drew applause from the audience.
Ward 2 Alderman Richard Gately also said the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) may want to get involved. In 2006, the EPA reached an agreement with Kraft, which agreed to pay a $15,000 penalty and spend $300,000 to replace several of its ozone-depleting refrigeration units at the Woburn plant.
Also, Kraft paid a $9,950 fine for an oil spill in 2005, when 500 gallons of fuel were discharged from a leaky pipe into the soil near a tributary to the Aberjona River.
Neighbors' comments
Washington Street Donna Ingham said the odor is like "somebody's been buried in your yard," and is especially bad on Sundays.
"It used to smell like Strawberry Jell-O, but now it smells like dead things," said Ingham.
Dennis Scott, also of Washington Street, said he spoke to a Woburn Police officer who said the odor from Atlantic Gelatin used to be "covered with another smell" that wasn't unpleasant, but now it's "atrocious."
Scott said on one occasion he called a security guard at the plant and the odor was gone within two hours, an indication it is the source of the stench.
"When Kraft tells you they don't know what's causing the smell, it's crap," said Scott. "The only place in the city that has a smell left is East Woburn. Let's get it out of there."
Utica Street resident Kathy Bailey suggested the council initiate public nuisance proceedings and shut down the plant "until something is done to rectify the situation."
Hawthorne Street resident Daniel Kenney agreed Kraft is aware it is causing the odor, and lamented the corporation's apparently unwillingness to discuss the matter in public.
"They have to explain themselves," said Kenney. "All I'm asking is (for the city) to start looking into it."
A representative at Atlantic Gelatin referred a request for an interview to the media relations department at Kraft's headquarters in Northfield, Ill., but that person's voice mail message indicated she was on vacation. A subsequent call to another member of the media relations department seeking comment was not returned by the Daily Times Chronicle's deadline on Thursday.
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