What stinks in northeast Clovis? Exactly what you think it is
If you have been wondering what that funky smell is around northeast Clovis, it’s just the aroma of agriculture.
A Kern County compost and recycling company has dumped several loads of biosolids composting material, made from treated human waste, at an almond orchard on Minnewawa, just north of Shepard Avenue. Depending on which way the wind is blowing, you can catch a strong whiff of the stuff.
The company, Liberty Compost & Recycling in Lost Hills, has been in the business for more than 20 years, turning treated human waste, green waste and food waste into compost. In farming, the compost is used as a nutrient-rich fertilizer.
General Manager Patrick McCarthy said he is aware of the concerns about the smell, but he says it will dissipate over time.
“This is a good thing, it is beneficial for the soil,” he said. “And we tend to hear these complaints from people who are not in agriculture, who don’t understand the process of fertilizer and farming.”
McCarthy said he has been shipping composting material to Fresno County for years without a problem. He assured the public that the waste goes through an extensive composting and testing process at its factory in Lost Hills.
“We are heavily regulated and testing is done throughout the process to make sure everything is pathogen free,” he said. “And when it is ready, we ship to farmers from Madera to Kern counties.”
According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, biosolids composting reduces the need for chemical fertilizers and adds nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium to the soil.
As for the smell, the EPA says that depends on the type of treatment it has been through, some biosolids may have a slight musty, ammonia odor. Others have a stronger odor that may be offensive to some people. Much of the odor is caused by compounds containing sulfur and ammonia, both of which are plant nutrients.