Residents press county over land application of food‑processing byproduct; company defends testing and permits

Representatives of A1 Pump and affiliated farmland operators told the Coffey County Commission on Aug. 11 that their land‑application work follows Kansas Department of Health and Environment procedures and repeated testing, while several residents urged the commission to press state regulators after months of strong odors and alleged runoff at local fields.

A1 Pump‑affiliated speaker Ron McCoy (company name offered in meeting materials) described the firm’s process for preparing sites that accept treated food‑processing byproduct. He said the applied material is “food grade,” primarily water with a small percentage of organic solids, that KDHE requires laboratory analyses of both soil and the material and that application rates and setbacks are computed by KDHE’s SWP‑906 computer model by zone.

McCoy explained on‑farm preparation steps the company uses: disking, chiseling and injecting material into the soil (about 6 inches deep), planting a crop yearly on treated ground, and using storage tanks when weather prevents immediate application. He said material and soil tests are sent to labs (Cervitec and other labs referenced) and that the company typically samples the applied material twice a year and receives KDHE inspections several times per year. He also said the company owns or leases several Coffey County sites and currently uses roughly 170 acres in the county for applications; the operation also works in Osage County and has looked at Greenwood County.

Local residents said the operations are creating a public nuisance. Art Friend and other speakers said the smell has been so strong it has kept children inside, that runoff and documented incidents have occurred, and they urged the commission to hold KDHE accountable. One resident said the agency’s approval letters are not permanent permits and that KDHE’s own annual authorizations may include a condition that operations cease if the activity is deemed a public nuisance.

Commissioners and county staff acknowledged the tension between a regulated state program and neighbors’ complaints. Commissioners asked whether KDHE had been consulted, whether required forms (SWP‑905/906) were on file for particular fields and whether additional local steps could be taken. County staff and residents said KDHE had at times used a less‑formal procedure for previously approved sites; residents produced photos they said show runoff and spreading on dates in June and July.

A1 Pump representatives said they are testing for an expanding list of contaminants — including heavy metals and other analytes — and that the company is investing in new filtration and composting technologies to reduce solids and odors. The company also said it has historically worked with KDHE, that KDHE inspects its sites, and that the firm had not received KDHE notices of violations for these operations at Coffey County locations.

Why it matters: the land‑application program treats a byproduct stream that municipalities and food processors otherwise would need to handle, and KDHE’s approvals allow application on farmland if soils, setbacks and application rates meet state calculations. Neighbors say local impacts are significant and that county and state oversight needs to do more to protect nearby homeowners.

What comes next: residents said they will continue documenting odors and runoff. Commissioners said they will review KDHE documentation and seek clarity on whether annual authorizations or formal permits exist for the specific County sites and whether county enforcement or additional mitigation is appropriate.