A pungent problem: Rural Firth residents upset over composting stench from dairy farm

FIRTH, Neb. (KLKN) – People who live near Prairieland Dairy outside of Firth say the compost is putting off an unbearable stench.

“It’s always the joke of, ‘When you smell those smells, well that smells like money,'” said Shelle Powell, who lives near Prairieland. “We don’t want to ruin that for anyone, but at the same time, we’d like a balance.”

A group of people are planning to attend a public hearing on Wednesday in hopes of making a change.

Powell said the dairy farm has been there for a long time, but it started composting more recently.

“I think that’s when we saw really a change in the air quality and the normal parts of daily life,” she said.

Another person who lives nearby said the composting smells like death.

Powell lives about 3 miles away from Prairieland, but the scent is still pungent enough that it creates a disruption in their lives.

“It was very strong,” she said. “You could smell it through your vehicle just driving down the road. It really limited just basics of hanging out outside in the evenings, enjoying your grill, being outdoors. That’s kind of why we live out on a beautiful acreage.”

She said the stench is year-round.

The waste facility deals with around 500,000 pounds of waste every day, according to the Department of Environment and Energy.

Prairieland’s permit for composting is up for renewal. If it’s approved, the farm will be able to compost for another decade.

People who live in the area are outraged at the idea and say something needs to change.

There will be a public hearing at 6 p.m. Wednesday at the Firth Community Center.

Powell said the group of neighbors wants to come up with a solution that will work for everyone.

“I think we just have some questions,” Powell said. “Are there policies and practices that should be followed? Who’s managing and monitoring? Is there a certain tolerance before it gets limited to their capacity?”