The odor of “dead fish” emanating from a Massachusetts property is so intense that the town has resorted to legal action, according to a new report. A lawsuit filed this summer targets a 20-acre property in Pepperell — located on the New Hampshire border — where the owner recently launched a composting operation that, per a complaint, includes fish refuse such as skeletons, crabs and shells, Boston.com reported. The heaping piles of organic waste have created smells that area residents have characterized as “nauseating,” “wretched” and “overwhelming,” with some saying the stench has disrupted their day-to-day lives.
In a June email, one resident wrote: “I wish I could say ‘Good Morning,’ but it would be a lie…It’s not even summer yet, I can only imagine that if this continues, the issue will become worse.” After filing multiple cease-and-desist letters, town officials launched a lawsuit in Middlesex County Superior Court on July 16, accusing the owner of flouting the town’s zoning regulations as well as air pollution regulations. Pepperell’s zoning regulations don’t permit for a composting site unless an exemption is provided via state law, the suit states, according to Boston.com. Days after the suit was filed, the town began levying $300-a-day fines against the owner, who didn’t respond to the outlet’s request for comment.
The Independent has attempted to contact the property owner Both sides have since agreed to a temporary injunction that requires the owner to halt all composting operations and remove all waste materials by September 28. All fines are suspended until that deadline. Photos taken at the property show that multiple compost piles have already been removed.
Similar lawsuits hav been filed in other cities. This summer, Chicago officials sued a manufacturing plant that had been accused of causing a “rotten fish” smell to spread across the South Side, ruining weddings and forcing a nearby school to cancel recess, WGNTV reported. And in 2024, Massachusetts officials took legal action against a waste management company after Grafton residents griped of putrid odors.
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