Smelly compost plant ‘affecting our children’s lives’

“It can smell like rotting vegetables, it smells bad, it’s very strong and sometimes there’s no choice but to bring the kids inside.”

Louise Quinn, headteacher of Cabragh Primary School in County Tyrone, has a problem.

The rural school is about 1 mile from a composting plant, which he and others say creates a bad smell.

In March, local residents protest outside the Northway Mushroom to voice concerns about the smell which they say they have lived with for years.

Months later, local schools and GAA clubs say the smell is still affecting the children’s daily lives.

Earlier this month, the company went into administration.

Administrators said the plant, which produces poultry waste compost, is continuing to operate with “business as usual”.

BBC News NI understands the factory will continue to operate for the foreseeable future and the administrative process may take several weeks or months.

A spokesman previously said the plant was being operated to the “highest standards” and that a recent government odor assessment had found no “problems”.

The company also said complaints about health “must be based on facts”.

Anthony McGonnell, a member of Cabragh primary school’s board of governors, said people in the area were “not making trouble and making trouble for their own good”.

“This objection is due to people’s real experience.”

Principal Louise Quinn said the smell was stopping children from using the sensory garden on the school grounds.

He added: “It varies, sometimes we get it in the morning and sometimes in the evening, and wind direction seems to play a role.”

This morning BBC News NI came to the school to interview staff, the smell was there, but very faint.

And a few days after a youth training session at the local GAA club, the smell became familiar.

Killeeshil St Mary’s training ground is within a few miles of the Northway factory.

The club said it had to postpone some training because of the smell.

When BBC News NI was halfway through an interview with the club’s chairman, Colm Rafferty, the wind picked up and a foul smell arose during training nearby.

Mr Rafferty said: “You can smell it in there now. It’s getting straight to your throat. It’s sickening and it’s not fair to these young people.

He added: “It’s nothing bad this evening, there are people living in the area who can’t barbecue or hang their clothes out to dry. It’s not right.”

Conor Holland lives locally and his children also participate in the club – he says the smell is a regular occurrence.

“Last night we really thought there was a dead animal in the house which was really bad.

“We had to close all the doors and windows and stay inside.”

So far there has been no enforcement action against Jamur Northway.

But Mid Ulster Council has confirmed to BBC News NI it is currently investigating “potential offences”.

Meanwhile, a planning application to expand the grounds and equipment at the factory has attracted more than 150 objection letters.

A spokesman for Mid Ulster Council said it was aware of the community’s concerns but could not comment further due to an ongoing investigation.

BBC News NI contacted Northway Mushrooms earlier this month before it went into administration and raised a number of concerns highlighted by some local residents.

He said the plant plays a “critical role in the agri-food industry” and has many jobs in the region.

A spokesperson added: “We take all issues and claims seriously, especially those related to health, which must be based on facts.

“Over the past 12 months, we have carried out on-site inspections by all relevant health and safety authorities. These inspections have not raised any adverse findings or concerns.

Northway now has a planning application in with Mid Ulster Council for a yard extension for additional hall storage and equipment.

In a statement released earlier this month, the company said the application was part of its “commitment to improve the operational performance of the facility”.

Concerns about odor problems on the Northway have been discussed several times at Mid Ulster Council.

The issue was also raised in a letter dated 3 June 2024 from Mid Ulster Council’s Environmental Health Department.

It stated that “ongoing investigations have confirmed that odors have occurred on multiple occasions and in various locations around the existing site”.

The Northern Ireland Environment Agency (NIEA) investigates environmental crime and safety breaches.

It said there have been no violations or enforcement actions against the Northway mushroom and it continues to monitor the situation.

In a statement it said: “For the NIEA, the presence of odors from the Northway Mushroom facility may not be considered a breach of the terms of the waste management licence.”

BBC News NI also contacted the joint administrator of Northway Mushrooms, but he had no further comment at this time.

Commenting on the concerns raised by the local GAA club, a NIEA spokesperson added: “On June 6, 2024, when an odor was detected at the site, it was due to the spreading of slurry on the ground.”

Mid Ulster councilor Kevin McElvogue lives in the area and said attributing the smell to the slurry was “insulting”.

He said: “This is nonsense, in my opinion. This is a big farming community here – they know the difference between this smell and spreading slurry.

“All the locals want here is the smell they’re talking about – it’s as simple as that.”