Locals in Lancaster County are protesting the extension of compost site permits

FIRTH, Neb. (KOLN) – It was a room full of people and emotions – at one point I needed the calming hand of a preacher to channel sharp disagreements into cordiality.

Dozens of people came to the Firth Community Center for a Nebraska Department of Environment and Energy public hearing weighing the pros and cons of renewing the 10-year permit for the Prairieland Gold Capitol composting site, whose neighbors say there is a terrible stench.

“We believe that composting became a nuisance when they started taking things outside the manure of their dairy farm,” said Carlos Monzón, who testified against the renewal of the permit.

The problem stems from the smell. A spot just a few miles from the composting site has been Tim Lindstrom’s little slice of heaven for more than thirty years.

“I grew up around farm animals and familiar farms, and the smell of agriculture doesn’t bother us,” Lindstrom said. “And then one day in the last 10 years we came out and found it unbearable.”

The fetid odor, coming from things like agricultural waste and dog food, is forcing windows to close and turning away homebuyers, Lindstrom said.

“We’ve literally had people here who have had to leave the building because the stench was so bad, and it just got worse over the years,” Lindstrom said. “We’re talking about 100 square miles negatively impacting everyone’s property.”

Monzón said he grew up in an agricultural context and had never experienced anything like this.

“This is the smell of death,” he said.

Justin Ohlde, part of the family that owns Prairieland, said they have been working on the smell.

“That’s always something we do,” Ohlde said. “I mean, we have a number of different processes in place. We did several things, added some liquids, you know, to help break down the substrates… We probably have a dozen things on the drawing board.”

Some witnesses supported the extension of the permit, citing economic and environmental benefits.

“It’s more jobs. It brings in more revenue,” said Kristin Draper of Firth. “And it puts, you know, the Firth area on the map. We do something fun with waste and we turn it into a useful and valuable resource.”

NDEE will review all comments before making a final decision, but it indicated there was initial support for the permit renewal. Ohlde said he and his family hope to build relationships with their neighbors.

“We are adhering to our permit and cooperating with the regulators,” Ohlde said. “We apply industry best practices and we try to keep improving and just do better.”

NDEE will accept written comments for or against the renewal of the permit until next week.

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