Odour Assessment – Green Hill Farm, Dymock

Odour control system for an abattoir at Green Hill Farm, Dymock by Redmore Environmental

Redmore Environmental was commissioned to provide odour control consultancy services in support of a planning application for a proposed abattoir on land at Green Hill Farm, Dymock.

The new abattoir will process approximately 20 cattle and 300 sheep a week. Although relatively small in scale compared to permitted facilities, there is the potential for odour emissions as a result of the processing and handling of animal by-products on site. As such, odour control consultancy services were required in order to ensure that disamenity does not occur at sensitive locations during the operational phase of the development.

How are Appropriate Methods of Odour Control Determined for a New Facility?

Appropriate methods of odour control for a new facility should be determined in phases and with the assistance of an Odour Consultant. The first stage is to review the proposed operations in order to identify potential odour sources and establish the emission pathways to sensitive receptors. Based on the outcomes, appropriate management procedures and odour control systems can be selected to mitigate potential effects. Application of a staged approach such as this helps to ensure that suitable methods of odour control are considered at all stages of the design and development process.

How did Our Odour Consultants Support the Project?  

Our experienced Odour Consultants used their specialist knowledge of animal by-product processing and odour control systems to support the planning application for the abattoir. We undertook an Odour Assessment comprising detailed dispersion modelling and prepared a comprehensive Odour Management Plan in accordance with the requirements of the European Commission guidance ‘Best Available Techniques (BAT) in the Slaughterhouses and Animal By-products Industries‘ and the Environment Agency document ‘The Red Meat Processing (Cattle, Sheep and Pigs) Sector‘. As part of this process, in depth consultation with Carbon Activated Ltd, an industry specialist abatement technology supplier, was undertaken in order to design an appropriate odour control system for the facility and address concerns raised by the Local Planning Authority.

A full range of our odour control services utilised in support of the project can be found on our website, these included:

  • Dispersion modelling of odour impacts;
  • Production of an Odour Management Plan; and,
  • Development of the odour abatement system.

What Odour Control Challenges Were Experienced During the Project?

Engineered odour control systems can be used to treat process emissions prior to release to atmosphere and therefore reduce the potential for adverse effects at sensitive receptor locations. The effectiveness of an odour control system depends on the characteristics of untreated emissions and the specific design principles of the technology.

In the case of the new abattoir, it was not possible to undertake sampling to determine the specific characteristics of the air to be treated and use this information to inform design of the odour control system. This is a common challenge faced by Odour Consultants today working in the manufacturing, food and waste industries.

In order to overcome this challenge and in collaboration with Carbon Activated Ltd, we reviewed data obtained from similar abattoirs in order to determine the key contaminants likely to be present in the process air requiring treatment during the operation of the facility. Based on this analysis, a carbon filter odour control system using a mixture of coconut shell and copper oxide impregnated activated media was specified to provide adsorption of contaminants. In addition, a comprehensive monitoring schedule to be implemented following installation of the system was developed in order to evaluate and maintain the performance of the technology.

Another challenge our Odour Consultants experienced was the issue of controlling odour emissions from blood, a waste by-product from abattoirs which readily decomposes if not stored under suitable conditions. In accordance with relevant BAT guidance, we advised that the temperature of the blood storage tank should be maintained below 10°C and the material should be chemically dosed with sodium metabisulphate, a common food preservative, in order to reduce the potential for decay and associated emissions. This abatement method was outlined in the Odour Management Plan for the facility and will be implemented throughout operation.

Outcomes

The challenges mentioned above, amongst others, were overcome by the project team. The detailed information regarding odour control systems and management practices provided in the technical documents produced by our Odour Consultants was deemed acceptable and the development was consented upon appeal by the Planning Inspectorate.

How Can We Help?

If you require odour consultancy services in support of a proposed development or are experiencing issues and need diagnostic assistance with an installed odour control system then please get in touch with one of our Consultants today to find out more about how we can help.

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