Development
BY JOEL VALLEY
O cials respond to odor lawsuit against Darling Ingredients
What they’re saying
Darling Ingredients ocials provided Community Impact with a statement in the hours following the announcement of the lawsuit. “Darling Ingredients has received the petition led by the Texas Attorney General’s oce and will respond through the appropriate legal channels,” Darling Ingredients ocials said. Although Bastrop County is aware of the lawsuit involving the Darling Ingredients facility, the county is not a party to the litigation. “[Bastrop County] will continue to refer the matter to the appropriate regulatory agencies while remaining active to community concerns,” Bastrop Judge Gregory Klaus said. Darling Ingredients ocials provided an update on $40 million in improvements to the facility during a Feb. 23 Bastrop County Commis- sioners Court meeting. “We are trying to do better,” Kenton Betz, regional vice president at Darling Ingredients, said. “Darling Ingredients has made a huge commitment to xing this plant and to making sure we have the right leaders in place.”
relief for violations of Texas’ air quality laws, and urged Darling Ingredients to take a variety of actions, including: • Stop spreading odors. • Comply with all permit and regulatory requirements. • Install real-time hydrogen sulide monitoring. • Implement corrective actions that are overseen by independent experts. “Texans should not be forced to endure oensive and harmful odors in their own communities, especially when a company is failing to comply with the standards required by law,” he said in the news release.
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton led a lawsuit against Darling Ingredients for “unlawfully emitting odors and other chemicals” at its Bastrop facility. Located between Bastrop County Animal Services and Camp Swift, the facility collects and recycles food industry waste to produce animal feed ingredients, biofuels and other byproducts, according to Darling Ingredients. Paxton announced the lawsuit in a news release Feb. 9. Paxton emphasized his desire for Darling Ingredients to be held accountable through “signicant” civil penalties and court-ordered
Sorting out the data Texas Commission on Environmental Quality investigation reports for odor, wastewater and stormwater conditions at the Darling Ingredients facility in Bastrop show documented violations.
Number of investigations Investigations in which violations were documented
11
The company has committed signicant resources toward facility improvements and operational changes to address odor issues and compliance. [We] will continue to advocate for residents, monitor progress closely, and work with regulators to ensure
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2025
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real, lasting improvements. ISHMAEL HARRIS, BASTROP MAYOR
SOURCE: TEXAS COMMISSION ON ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITYCOMMUNITY IMPACT
What residents should know
Darling Ingredients facility
In late 2025, Darling Ingredients launched a dedicated phone number, 512-772-4527, where residents can report their concerns. No complaints were received over the last few weeks, Darling Ingredients ocials said Feb. 23. Ocials launched www.darlingii.com/bastrop to give residents a place to learn more about the company’s operations—including upcoming projects and air protection initiatives, according to the company.
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Camp Swift
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The Darling Ingredients facility in Bastrop repurposes chicken by-products from local poultry plants into specialty ingredients used in feed for livestock and pets.
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JOEL VALLEYCOMMUNITY IMPACT
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BASTROP CEDAR CREEK EDITION
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