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Resident letter spurs town to urge DEC complaints over odors from Royal Butcher on Route 12A
Summary
A resident letter describing recurring odors from Royal Butcher on Route 12A prompted the selectboard to urge town employees and neighbors to log complaints with the state air quality office so DEC can build a record and consider enforcement.
Chair (Speaker 2) presented a letter from Cindy Jarvis of Allen Drive documenting repeated complaints about an ongoing stench from the Royal Butcher on Route 12A and the town's limited enforcement authority. The chair said the state Department of Environmental Conservation’s air quality and climate division is the responsible enforcement agency and asked town employees and neighbors to call and log odor reports so DEC can substantiate patterns of nuisance. "If you are at the town office ever and you smell anything, you can call ... John Wakefield ... (802) 279-5674," Chair (Speaker 2) said, urging people to include date, time and location when they leave a message.
The board reviewed prior steps residents had taken and discussed the practical difficulty DEC faces documenting transient odors. Chair (Speaker 2) said residents reported the owner had previously told DEC he would build a cooling garage by June 2025; residents say they have not seen that building constructed. Board members emphasized the limits of town jurisdiction and encouraged coordinated logging of complaints so the state’s compliance record will be stronger if enforcement action is later pursued. The selectboard did not vote on enforcement action; it advised residents to report odors to DEC and to share records with town staff.
