GRAFTON – After the Attorney General’s Office sued Feedback Earth, which processes unwanted food into ingredients for animal feed, the two parties have agreed on several actions, including to stop to bringing unauthorized materials onto the property.
Feedback Earth is located on Creeper Hill Road. The Attorney General filed the lawsuit following odor complaints.
As part of its relief, the AG sought a preliminary injunction, and a hearing on it was held on Oct. 23. After negotiations, the Attorney General and Feedback reached an agreement with several terms, outlined in a joint stipulation and order dated Oct. 24.
According to the order, Feedback will stop bringing any unauthorized materials to be recycled or converted, including lobster shells. In June, people began reporting seafood-related odors, and, according to the complaint, Feedback had begun to accept and process discarded lobster shells.
A press release from Grafton Town Administrator Evan Brassard said that Feedback was allowed to process the last load of lobster shells on or about Oct. 24.
Additionally, Feedback must dispose of all of its unprocessed food materials, and seek composting or other disposal operations that can accept the remaining lobster shells and dispose of them within seven days.
Feedback must comply with all of the regulatory documents that govern its operations. The order also tells Feedback to stop creating a “public nuisance condition.” If the Attorney General determines and notifies that its operations are causing a nuisance, Feedback will stop the nuisance-causing operations until they can continue without nuisance.
Feedback is also required to take actions to make sure the hotline is operational and stop all actions that discourage hotline reports. Staff members will also stop visiting the homes of hotline callers without written permission from the caller.
The lawsuit is still moving forward.
“The AGO, DEP and the town believe that these temporary measures are a step in the right direction in returning normalcy for residents,” said Brassard.
The Community Advocate has reached out to Feedback Earth for comment.