Press Release  MassDEP Fines Feedback Earth, Inc. for Odor Issues and Food Waste Management Violations at Its Grafton

BOSTON — The Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (MassDEP) has assessed a $6,000 penalty against Feedback Earth, Inc. following state permit violations at its food waste conversion operation on Creeper Hill Road in Grafton. The violations, which occurred from May through November 2023, center on multiple off-site odor events and improper food waste management practices.

Feedback Earth’s Grafton facility converts food waste into animal feed under a permit from MassDEP. Among its terms, the permit requires the facility to comply with the state’s air regulations and properly store and manage food waste. The company has been fined since 2022 and paid a cumulative total of $25,250 for previous permit violations. However, in May 2023, MassDEP found that the Grafton facility continued to improperly manage its food waste and generated air-polluting odors that reportedly disrupted the surrounding community. As a result of these continued permit violations, MassDEP has issued the current $6,000 penalty.

“Feedback Earth’s continued noncompliance issues have created public nuisances and the potential for public health problems,” said Mary Jude Pigsley, Director of MassDEP’s Central Regional Office in Worcester. “MassDEP is closely monitoring their operations to ensure that they are not further causing or contributing to air pollution and possible health hazards.”

MassDEP’s mission is to protect and enhance the Commonwealth’s natural resources – air, water and land – to provide for the health, safety and welfare of all people, and to ensure a clean and safe environment for future generations. In carrying out this mission, MassDEP commits to address and advance environmental justice and equity for all people of the Commonwealth; to provide meaningful, inclusive opportunities for people to participate in agency decisions that affect their lives; and to ensure a diverse workforce that reflects the communities we serve.

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