Shangoni Management Services (Pty) Ltd
Chubby Chick Enterprises
Odour Management Plan
Locality: Potchefstroom
Date: 10 June 2015
Shangoni Management Services (Pty) Ltd
Unit C8
Block @ Nature
472 Botterklapper Street
Pretoria
Office: + 27 (0)12 807 7036
Fax: +27 (0)12 807 1014
Chubby chick Enterprises
Odour Management Plan
Locality: Potchefstroom
Date: 10 June 2015
ODOUR MANAGEMENT PLAN
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PROJECT DETAILS
Project Title: Odour Management Plan for Chubby Chick Enterprises’ Rendering
Facility.
Project Number: FOU-POT-12-05-02
Compiled by: Patricia van der Walt
Date: 10 June 2015
Location: Potchefstroom
Technical Reviewer: Lourens de Villiers
_____________________________
H.L. De Villiers
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
1. INTRODUCTION .................................................................................................................................. 11
1.1 Background ...................................................................................................................................... 11
1.2 Legislative requirements ................................................................................................................. 11
1.3 Scope of the Odour Management Plan ....................................................................................... 12
2. BASELINE CHARACTERISATION .................................................................................................... 15
2.1 Process description ......................................................................................................................... 15
2.2 Odour Characterisation ................................................................................................................... 20
2.3 Odour Source Characterisation ...................................................................................................... 21
2.4 Locality ......................................................................................................................................... 22
2.5 Land use and sensitive receptors .................................................................................................. 22
2.6 Estimated Odour Pollution Impact ................................................................................................. 27
3. ODOUR MANAGEMENT AND CONTROL MEASURES ................................................................... 37
4. OPERATIONAL MAINTENANCE AND MONITORING PLAN AND EMERGENCY RESPONSE PLAN
......................................................................................................................................... 42
5. SUMMARY ......................................................................................................................................... 48
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LIST OF FIGURES
Figure 1: Site layout. ................................................................................................................................ 17
Figure 2: Simplified block diagram ........................................................................................................... 18
Figure 3: Process flow diagram. .............................................................................................................. 19
Figure 4: Locality map. ............................................................................................................................. 24
Figure 5: Land use map. .......................................................................................................................... 25
Figure 6: Sensitive receptors within a 10km radius from the site. ........................................................... 26
Figure 7: Mean hourly odour ground level concentrations (OUE/m3) for all scenarios. ........................... 31
Figure 8: 98th Percentile of hourly means over a calendar (OUE/m3) for all scenarios. ........................... 32
Figure 9: Exceedence of the 1.5 OUE/m3 odour threshold for all scenarios. ........................................... 33
Figure 10: Mean hourly odour ground level concentrations (OUE/m3) for the current scenario. ............ 34
Figure 11: 98th Percentile of hourly means over a calendar (OUE/m3) for the current scenario. ............. 35
Figure 12: Exceedence of the 1.5 OUE/m3 odour threshold for the current scenario. ............................. 36
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LIST OF TABLES
Table 1: Sensitive receptors..................................................................................................................... 22
Table 2: Different control measure applicable to the rendering facility (DEFRA, 2010). ......................... 27
Table 3: Design parameters of different scenarios modelled. ................................................................. 28
Table 4: H4 – Odour management: Odour Benchmarks. ........................................................................ 28
Table 5: Industrial activities and indicative criteria of significant pollution. .............................................. 28
Table 6: Management and operational procedures and responsibilities for most offensive odour sources
from fugitive sources. ............................................................................................................................... 38
Table 7: Control measures and responsibilities for most offensive odour sources. ................................ 42
Table 8: Operational Maintenance and Monitoring plan. ......................................................................... 43
Table 9: Odour Related Emergency Response Procedure. .................................................................... 47
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REFERENCES Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) (March 2010), Odour Guidance for Local
Authorities Final, DEFRA, London, United Kingdom.
Department of Environmental Affairs (DEAT) (2007), The 2007 National Framework for Air Quality
Management in the republic of South Africa, DEAT, Pretoria.
Institute of Air Quality Management (IAQM) (May 2014), Guidance on the assessment of odour for
planning, Institute of Air Quality Management, London. www.iaqm.co.uk/text/guidance/odourguidance-
2014.
National Environmental Management: Air Quality Act, 2004 (Act No. 39 of 2004).
Shangoni management Services (2015), Atmospheric Impact Report for Chubby Chick Enterprises’
Rendering Facility.
United Stated- Environmental Protection Agency (US-EPA) (July 1974), Control of odours from inedible
rendering plants, US-EPA, North Carolina, EPA-450/1-74-006.
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DEFINITIONS
Air Pollution
Means any change in the composition of the air caused by smoke, soot, dust (including fly ash), including
cinders, solid particles of any kind, gases, fumes, aerosols and odour substances. [NEM: AQA, (Act 39
of 2004)]
Ambient Air
Excludes air regulated by the Occupational Health and Safety Act, 1993 (Act No 85 of 1993). [NEM: AQA,
(Act 39 of 2004)].
Atmospheric Emission
Means any emission or entertainment process emanating from a point, non-point or mobile source that
results in air pollution. [NEM: AQA, (Act 39 of 2004)].
Best Available Technique
Means the most effective and advanced stage in the development of activities and their methods of
operation which indicate the practical suitability of particular techniques for providing in principle the basis
for emission limit values designed to prevent and, where it is not practicable, generally to reduce
emissions and the impact on the environment as a whole.
"Techniques" include both the technology used and the way in which the installation is designed,
built, maintained, operated and decommissioned.
"Available" techniques mean those developed on a scale which allows implementation in the
relevant industrial sector, under economically and technically viable conditions, taking into
consideration the costs and advantages, whether or not the techniques are used or produced inside
the Member State in question, as long as they are reasonably accessible to the operator.
"Best" means most effective in achieving a high general level of protection of the environment as
a whole. (IPPC directive 96/61, 1996, article 2, sub 11)
Design Capacity
Means capacity as installed [NEM: AQA, (Act 39 of 2004)].
Emission Inventory
A listing or register of the amount of pollution entering the atmosphere from all sources within a given
time and geographic boundaries (DEA, September 2007).
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Emission Standard
A specific limit to the amount of pollutant that can be released to the atmosphere by a specified source
(DEA, September 2007).
Existing Plant
Shall mean any plant or process that was legally authorised to operate before the date on which this
Notice takes effect or any plant where an application for authorisation in terms of the National
Environmental Management Act 1998 (Act No 107 of 1998), as amended was made before the date on
which this Notice takes effect. [NEM: AQA, (Act 39 of 2004)]
Environment
The surroundings (biophysical, social and economic) within which humans exist and that are made up of:
i. The land, water and atmosphere of the earth;
ii. Micro-organisms, plant and animal life;
iii. Any part or combination of (i) and (ii) and the interrelationships among and between them; and
iv. The physical, chemical, aesthetic and cultural properties and conditions of the foregoing that
influence human health and wellbeing.
Emission Factor
An emissions factor is a representative value that attempts to relate the quantity of a pollutant released
to the atmosphere with an activity associated with the release of that pollutant (EPA website).
Fugitive Emissions
Means emissions to the air from a facility for which an emission license has been issued, other than those
emitted from a point source [NEM: AQA, (Act 39 of 2004)].
Non-Point Source
Means a source of atmospheric emissions which cannot be identified as having emanated from a single
identifiable source or fixed location, and includes veld, forest and open fires, mining activities, agricultural
activities and stockpiles [NEM:AQA, (Act 39 of 2004)].
Odour
Organoleptic attribute perceptible by the olfactory organ on sniffing certain volatile substances (ISO 5492)
Point source
Means a single identifiable source and fixed location of atmospheric emission, and includes smoke stacks
and residential chimneys [NEM: AQA, (Act 39 of 2004)].
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ABBREVIATIONS
AIR - Atmospheric Impact Report
CE - Control Efficiency
C - Cleaner
DEA - Department of Environmental Affairs
DEFRA - Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
GG - Government Gazette
GN - General Notice
IAQM - Institute of Air Quality Management
M - Manufacturer
MM - Maintenance manager
NEM:AQA - National Environmental Management: Air Quality Act, 2004 (Act No. 39 of 2004)
RPM - Rendering Plant manager
VOC - Volatile Organic Compounds
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1. INTRODUCTION
1.1 Background
Chubby Chick Enterprises is a poultry production company based in Potchefstroom. The company owns
various chicken raising farms, both traditional broiler farms and free-range farms, in the Potchefstroom
area and slaughters the chickens at their own abattoirs in Potchefstroom.
Chubby Chick Enterprises has a rendering facility that is responsible for the processing of poultry waste
generated by their chicken raising farms and abattoirs in Potchefstroom.
Chubby Chick Enterprises’ Rendering Facility is an inedible rendering plant, i.e. it produces a product
that is not intended for human consumption. The facility currently receives chicken waste [blood,
feathers, chicken pieces, fat and intestines (mala)] from the two Chubby Chick abattoirs in Potchefstroom
and also receives chicken mortalities from the Fourie’s Poultry (part of Cycle City) chicken farms on a
daily basis.
A maximum of 60 tonnes of poultry waste is processed per day. The facility operates 24/7 and processes
the poultry waste into a high-protein poultry by-product meal (PBPM). The meal is used as a protein
source in the production of animal feeds.
The Chubby Chick rendering facility is situated on Portion 198 of the farm Wilgeboom 458 IQ along with
a number of crop fields, approximately 7km south-east of Potchefstroom.
1.2 Legislative requirements
1.2.1 The National Framework for Air Quality Management
The National Framework for Air Quality Management was established to achieve the objectives of NEM:
AQA and provides a medium- to long term plan for the practical implementation of this Act. The framework
states that industry too has a responsibility not to impose on everyone’s right to air that is not harmful to
health and well-being and highlights the responsibility of industry in terms current legislation (see below).
In terms of NEM:AQA industries have the following responsibilities (Note: The responsibilities for
industries identified as listed activities were not included, but can be found under Section 3.3 of the
National Framework for Air Quality Management):
Taking reasonable steps to prevent the emission of any offensive odour caused by any
activity on their premises;
Compliance with any relevant standards for emissions from point, non-point or mobile sources in
respect of substances or mixtures of substances identified by the Minister, MEC or municipality;
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Compliance with the measurements requirements of identified emissions from point, non-point or
mobile sources and the form in which such measurements must be reported and the organs of
state to whom such measurements must be reported;
Compliance with relevant emission standards in respect of controlled emitters if an activity
undertaken by the industry and/or an appliance used by the industry is identified as a controlled
emitter;
Compliance with any usage, manufacture or sale and/or emissions standards or prohibitions in
respect of controlled fuels if such fuels are manufactured, sold or used by the industry;
Comply with the Minister’s requirement for the implementation of a pollution prevention plan in
respect of a substance declared as a priority air pollutant; and
Comply with an Air Quality Officer’s legal request to submit an atmospheric impact report in a
prescribed form (DEAT, 2007).
1.2.2 Licensing in terms of NEM AQA
The rendering of animal matter (blood, feathers and other condemned material from the abattoir, including
mortalities from the broiler farms) triggers the activity listed in Category 10, Animal matter processing in
terms of Government Notice No. 248 as contemplated in Section 21(1)(a) of the National Environmental
Management: Air Quality Act, 2004 (Act No. 39 of 2004) (MEN: AQA).
In terms of Section 22 of the National Environmental Management: Air Quality Act, 2004 (Act No. 39 of
2004); no person may conduct a listed activity without a Provisional Atmospheric Emission License or an
Atmospheric Emission License. A person must apply for an AEL with the licensing authority of the area
in which the activity is to be carried out.
1.2.3 Special Arrangements as specified in GN893 in terms of NEM: AQA
The general special arrangement, as specified in Part 2 (20) of GN893 in terms of NEM: AQA, states the
following:
A fugitive emissions management plan must be included in the Atmospheric Emission Licenses for
listed activities that are likely to generate such emissions.
The following special arrangement shall apply to the listed activity, Category 10: Animal Mater
Processing, categorised in Part 3 of GN893 in terms of NEM: AQA:
Best practice measures intended to minimise or avoid offensive odours must be implemented by
all installations. These measures must be documented to the satisfaction of the Licensing Authority.
1.3 Scope of the Odour Management Plan
Chubby Chick Enterprises employed Shangoni Management Services to develop an Odour Management
Plan (OMP) for their rendering facility in Potchefstroom, so that they may comply to the following
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legislative conditions applicable to their facility (Refer to section 1.2: Legislative Requirements; 1.2.1,
1.2.2 and 1.2.3 in this document):
“Taking reasonable steps to prevent the emission of any offensive odour caused by any activity on
their premises”;
“A fugitive emissions management plan must be included in the Atmospheric Emission Licenses
for listed activities that are likely to generate such emissions”; and
“Best practice measures intended to minimise or avoid offensive odours must be implemented by
all installations. These measures must be documented to the satisfaction of the Licensing
Authority”.
An OMP is a documented, operational plan describing reasonable measures to be implemented by the
rendering plant manager in anticipation of the formation of odours and their release from the site. It
considers procedures and techniques to manage odours across the whole of the process, and odour
exposure chain (Source-Pathway-Receptor).
Since a majority of the odour sources at the rendering facility are considered fugitive emission sources,
this the OMP may be considered a fugitive emissions management plan (Refer to section 1.2 and 1.2.3
in this document)
Best practice measures does not only involve the design and installation of the most up to date and cost
effective odour control technology to minimise the environmental impact of odours from a premises, it
also involves the implementation of ongoing management systems aimed at preventing or reducing
offensive odour emissions, such an OMP.
The OMP should detail how odours are being managed and controlled so as to minimise or avoid the
formation and release of odours from the site, as well as, assign managerial and operational
responsibilities for:
Maintaining the OMP,
Implementing the OMP; and
Responding to odour related incidents and the response of the community.
The OMP should address the management and/or control of odours at each stage of the odour exposure
chain (Source-Pathway-Receptor) and include, the following aspects:
Identification of sources of odours on the site and their location (Refer to Figure 1 and section 2.3
within this document);
Management and operational procedures and responsibilities (Refer Table 6);
Control measures employed on the site including odour abatement systems and techniques (Refer
Table 7);
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Repair and maintenance of plant and equipment (Refer to Table 8). Repair and maintenance of the
plants and equipment should be undertaken in accordance with the manufacturer’s
recommendations and the availability of equipment and spares should be considered.
Monitoring (Refer to Table 8);
Interaction with relevant interested parties (Refer to Table 9);
Emergency and incident response procedures (Refer to Table 9);
Staff Training (Refer to Table 5 and Table 8);
Identification of receptors (Refer to Table 1 and Figure 6); and
Record keeping (Refer to Table 6 and Table 8).
An OMP is valuable in that, besides for minimising or avoiding the formation and release of odours, it
also:
Instils confidence with the local authority and the neighboring community that odours from the site
will be proactively managed;
Maximises the information available to a rendering plant manager and provides the basis for
improved intervention; and
Informs decisions on where investment choices need to be made to improve odour control.
This OMP should be viewed as a “live” document which is regularly reviewed, informed by the ongoing
operation of the process and updated.
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2. BASELINE CHARACTERISATION
In order to identify all sources of odours at a facility, it is vital to clearly understand the different elements
involved in the process at the facility and the flow between these processes. Following is a description of
the rendering process at the Chubby Chick rendering facility.
2.1 Process description
Chubby Chick Enterprises’ Rendering Facility is an inedible rendering plant, i.e. it produces a product
that is not intended for human consumption. The facility currently receives chicken waste [blood,
feathers, chicken pieces, fat and intestines (mala)] from the two Chubby Chick abattoirs in Potchefstroom
and also receives chicken mortalities from the Fourie’s Poultry (part of Cycle City) chicken farms on a
daily basis.
A maximum of 60 tonnes of poultry waste is processed per day. The facility operates 24/7 and processes
the poultry waste into a high-protein poultry by-product meal (PBPM). The meal is used as a protein
source in the production of animal feeds.
The current by-product meal production process, a batch rendering process (three batches in 24 hours),
is shown in Figure 2 and 3 and summarised below:
The facility has two sections separated by a concrete partition. The “dirty” area is from the waste
unloading area to where the waste is loaded into the pressure cooking vessels. The “clean” area
is from where the cooked product is loaded out of the cooking vessels to where the finished product
is bagged.
Chicken waste (feathers, chicken pieces, fat and intestines) from the Chubby Chick abattoirs and
mortalities from their chicken farms are brought to the rendering facility. The waste is stored within
the rendering facility building, in the intake area.
Blood is brought from the abattoirs in a tanker and is pumped into a 10m3 holding tank at the
rendering facility.
Waste and blood is loaded into the three pressure cooking vessels. Steam is generated in two
coal-fired boilers for use in the sterilisation process.
Within the cooking vessels, the waste is cooked and sterilised using pressure and high
temperatures.
Steam is vented from the cooking vessels and passes through a collection tank where solids settle
out. From there, the air passes through two condensers. Water from the condensers flows to a
trench and into a sump from where the water is pumped into an earth evaporation pond to the
north-east of the facility. Non-condensibles, such as VOCs (volatile organic compounds), pass
from the condensers to the biofilter. In the biofilter, the air passes through a biofilter medium within
which microorganisms reside. The odour causing particles are a food source for the
microorganisms and are therefore consumed by the microorganisms. In this system, the odorous
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atmospheric emissions generated at the rendering facility (during the cooking process) are
captured and degraded.
The sterilised product is removed from the cooking vessels when the moisture content has
decreased to the required percentage.
The product passes through a hammer mill and screen. In this step any unwanted solids, such as
stones, are removed from the product.
The product is then placed into bags and removed from the site to be used in the production of
animal feeds.
The rendering facility obtains electricity from Eskom, but also has a backup generator on site. There is
also an aboveground, bunded diesel tank.
Per day, approximately 55m3 of wastewater is generated from the rendering process. The wastewater
currently flows into trenches and into a sump from where it is then pumped to an earth evaporation pond
to the north-east of the rendering facility. A new wastewater treatment system is being proposed to
effectively treat the wastewater to the Department of Water Affairs’ general limit standards for irrigation
or discharge into a water resource.
The following changes are being proposed for the rendering facility:
A new treatment system for the wastewater generated at the rendering facility; and
Possible changes to the existing earth evaporation pond (addition of liners).
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Figure 1: Site layout.
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Figure 2: Simplified block diagram
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Figure 3: Process flow diagram.
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2.2 Odour Characterisation
The generation of odorants is generally the most significant issue at a rendering facility.
Odour is the sensation resulting from stimulation of the olfactory organs. An odorant is the substance
responsible for eliciting this response. Odour can exist as a result of a single chemical or, more typically,
a complex mixture of compounds. The perception of a mixture of odorants, such as those from a rendering
facility, is very different from how each chemical would be perceived independently.
Odorants can act as additive agents, counteractants, masking agents, or be synergistic in nature. The
combination of two odorants can have an odour equal to that of either one of the components, have an
odour less than that of one of the components, have an odour equal to the sum of the components, or
even have an odour greater than the sum of the components (Powers W, et al., 2004). Odours may also
be perceived as pleasant or unpleasant and whilst there is often agreement about what constitutes
pleasant and unpleasant odours, there is a wide variation between individuals as to what is deemed
unacceptable and what affects our quality of life.
Most people accept even a strong odour for a short period of time, provided they don’t have to smell it
often. We therefore have a threshold for the frequency and duration of the odour, above which our
tolerance is exceeded and we view the odour as a nuisance. This all makes odour quantification and
characterisation a challenging process.
Odours from the rendering facility are mostly caused by Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) produced
during the enzymatic decomposition and oxidation of proteins. VOCs that have been identified in gaseous
emissions from rendering plants include:
Hydrogen sulfide (H2S),
Ammonia (NH3),
Organic sulfides,
Disulfides,
Mercaptans (methanethiol),
Aldehydes (especially C-4 to C-7 aldehydes),
Amines (trimethylamine, C-4 amines),
Quinoline,
Dimethyl pyrazine,
Other pyrazines,
Indole,
Skatole and
C-3 to C-6 organic acids.
In addition to the pollutants above, lesser amounts of C-4 to C-7 alcohols, ketones, aliphatic
hydrocarbons, and aromatic compounds can potentially be emitted.
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2.3 Odour Source Characterisation
Sources of odorous emissions from the rendering facility include:
Steam from the pressure cooker vessels;
Fugitive emissions from the working environment, such as:
Biological degradation of raw material (e.g. Waste intake and storage area);
Vapour leaks from machinery (e.g. Blood tank); and
Wastewater treatment facilities (e.g. Earth evaporation pond).
Unit processes responsible for the most offensive odours at the rendering facility include the:
Waste intake and storage area;
Blood tank;
Pressure cooking vessels;
Sump; and the
Wastewater treatment facilities (Trenches, Sump and Earth evaporation pond).
Unit processes that generate less offensive odours include the:
Milling and screening-; and
Bagging, storage and dispatch of product.
The emissions from the following sources may be considered as fugitive emissions:
Waste intake and storage area (including the blood tank);
Trenches;
Sump;
Milling and screening-; and
Bagging-, storage- and dispatch of product area.
Steam is vented from the cooking vessels and passes through a collection tank where solids settle out.
From there, the air passes through two condensers. Water from the condensers flows to a trench and
into a sump from where the water is pumped into an earth evaporation pond to the north-east of the
facility. Non-condensibles, such as VOCs (volatile organic compounds), pass from the condensers to
the biofilter. In the biofilter, the air passes through a biofilter medium within which microorganisms reside.
The odour causing particles are a food source for the microorganisms and are therefore consumed by
the microorganisms. In this system, the odorous atmospheric emissions generated at the rendering
facility (during the cooking process) are captured and degraded before it is emitted to the atmosphere.
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2.4 Locality
The Chubby Chick rendering facility is an independent rendering facility situated on Portion 198 of the
farm Wilgeboom 458 IQ along with a number of crop fields, approximately 7km south-east of
Potchefstroom. The property is zoned as Agriculture (72) Business land.
The property falls within the jurisdiction of the Tlokwe Local Municipality, which forms part of the Dr.
Kenneth Kuanda District Municipality, located within the North West Province (Refer to Figure 4).
2.5 Land use and sensitive receptors
The dominant land use surrounding the rendering facility is cultivated land (Commercial), built-up land
[Residential (mainly) and Industrial]. Small pockets of exotic plantations can be found scattered within a
10km radius from the rendering facility (Refer to Figure 5).
The property lies within the Grassland biome region. The specific grassland type is the “Rand Highveld
Grasslands”. The vegetation type is dominated by grassland with small areas of woodland, thicket and
bushland within a 10km radius from the rendering facility.
The Mooi River flows to the west of the site (approximately 7km from the rendering plant) and a tributary
of the Mooi River, the Rooikraalspruit, flows to the east and south of the site (approximately 4.7km from
the rendering plant). The Vaal River flows approximately 15.3km south of the site. A wetland can be found
north-west of the site.
When identifying sensitive receptors in an area it is important to consider the type of activity associated
with the facility (work, recreation, transport, residential, transportation) and whether it is in permanent use
or only occasionally used.
In general terms, the more people consider the facility as their ‘territory’ and the less options they have to
extract themselves from the situation in an episode of exposure, the more ‘sensitive’ the facility is.
Sensitive receptors include: residential dwellings, accommodation (hotels, B&B, guesthouses), hospitals,
nursing homes, schools, churches, holiday/weekend dwellings, campsites, caravan parks, sports facilities
and offices. Refer to Figure 6 and the table below for the sensitive receptors identified within a 10km
radius from the rendering facility.
Table 1: Sensitive receptors.
Schools Distance from
site (km)
Direction from
site (Degrees)
Mareka Primary School 3.87 151.12
Tlhabologo Primary School 5.71 86.53
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Haaskraal Primary School 9.42 234.84
Letjhabile Primary School 8.02 258.59
Mmutle Primary School 9.06 280.87
Padi Combined School 6.97 12.91
Mooibank Primary School 9.72 291.37
Berts Bricks Primary School 12.80 287.25
Ditaelong Primary School 13.35 293.26
Abraham Kriel Potchefstroom 8.41 309.78
M.L. Fick Primary School 8.95 320.61
Agapé Christian School 8.91 319.09
Hoër Volkskool Potchefstroom 9.54 315.62
Daggaboer Farm School 9.49 321.30
Saints Primary School 9.19 329.23
Little Saints Nursery School 9.12 329.71
Potchefstroom Primary School 10 324.47
Ikalafeng School 9.63 327.76
Potchefstroom High School For Boys 10.60 326.25
Botoka Secondary School 12.15 308.34
Thembalidanisi Primary School 11.85 309.08
Tshepo Primary School 12.33 309.28
Boitirelo Primary School 12.51 308.97
Boitshoko High School 13.08 307.47
Basupi Secondary School 11.91 310.60
Seiphemelo Secondary School 12.15 306.34
Pudulogo L P Public School 11.85 304.55
Lesego Primary School 10.95 302.64
Hospitals and clinics Distance from
site (km)
Direction from
site (Degrees)
Top City Clinic 9.08 315.85
Potchefstroom Hospital - H.I.V Wellness Clinic 9.32 316.65
Clicks Pharmacy Clinic - Potchefstroom 9.08 325.10
Potchefstroom Hospital 9.32 316.15
Agricultural holdings Distance from
site (km)
Direction from
site (Degrees)
Turfvlei Agricultural Holding 6.45 351.75
Wilgeboom Agricultural Holding 4.89 310.81
Golf course Distance from
site (km)
Direction from
site (Degrees)
Potchefstroom Country Club – Golf course 8.62 330.95
Landboukollege Golf Club 10.09 309.80
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Figure 4: Locality map.
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Figure 5: Land use map.
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Figure 6: Sensitive receptors within a 10km radius from the site.
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2.6 Estimated Odour Pollution Impact
An Atmospheric Impact Assessment (AIA) was done for the Chubby Chick rendering facility, in order to
identify all sources of offensive odours, determine the possible impact these sources may have on
sensitive receptors and to provide recommendations on best practice measures intended to minimise or
avoid offensive odours. The following results were extracted from the Atmospheric Impact Report (AIR).
Chubby Chick rendering facility is an inedible rendering plant, i.e. it produces a product that is not
intended for human consumption. Refer to Table 2 for a lists of control technologies relevant to such an
industry. From this table, two technologies mostly used for the treatment of odour from pet food
manufactures (of which the rendering process forms a part of) is liquid scrubbing and biofiltration.
According to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA), biofilters are the most
effective odour treatment technology currently available for treating odour streams which are
contaminated with “water soluble” gases (e.g. ammonia and hydrogen sulphide), such as in the case with
Chubby chick rendering facility.
Biofilters can also be quite effective with lower solubility odorants (depending on its design) to the extent
that long residence time biofilters can be more effective than wet scrubbers where there are low solubility
compounds in an odour stream.
Table 2: Different control measure applicable to the rendering facility (DEFRA, 2010).
Industry Odour Control Technology Appropriateness
Pet food manufacture Adsorption ✓
Liquid scrubbing ✓✓
Biofiltration ✓✓
Bioscrubbers ✓
Ozone & UV ✓
Thermal oxidation ✓
Plasma ✓
Neutralising agents ✓
✓✓✓ = most common / preferred method; ✓✓ = method used but may be limited to specific scale or
process type; ✓ = rare use / limited data.
Chubby Chick rendering facility has installed two condensers and a biofilter for the treatment of odorous
emissions from their pressure cooking vessels.
The different operating scenarios modelled and assessed include (Refer to Table 3 for design
parameters):
No control scenario - For this scenario, odour from the pressure cooking vessels will be modelled
without any control measures implemented. For this scenario it was assumed that the pressure
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cookers emit emissions into the building housing it, these emissions then escape, untreated, from
the building into the atmosphere;
Condensers only scenario – This scenario assumes that the condensers are the only control
measure for the pressure cooker vessels;
Biofilter scenario – This is the current scenario, where steam is vented from the cooking vessels
to condensers and pass from here to a biofilter.
Table 3: Design parameters of different scenarios modelled.
Design Parameters No control
scenario
Condensers only scenario Biofilter scenario (5 x 5L
JoJo tanks)
Source type Volume Point Area
Height Aprox. 6m Aprox. 3m Aprox. 2.255m
Diameter - Aprox. 1.515m Aprox 1. 82 m per JoJo Tank
Length 14.5 - -
Width 12m - -
Gas exit temperature Ambient Aprox 32°C (US-EPA,1974) Aprox 35°C (Sniffer, 2014)
Gas exit velocity Assumed
0m/s
Aprox 3m/s (US-EPA,1974) Assumed 0m/s
Control efficiency None 50% (US-EPA,1974) 79.8% (Sironi S et al, 2007)
The simulated odour ground level concentrations, were assessed based on the H4 – Odour Management:
Odour Benchmarks (Refer to Table 4).
Table 4: H4 – Odour management: Odour Benchmarks.
Odour description Averaging Period Concentration Percentile Frequency of Exceedence
Most offensive 1 hour 1.5 OUE/m3 98 175.2
Moderately offensive 1 hour 3 OUE/m3 98 175.2
Less offensive 1 hour 6 OUE/m3 98 175.2
From Table 5 we can determine that odour from the Chubby Chick rendering facility is characterised as
most offensive. Odour pollution from the rendering facility will therefore be assessed against the indicative
criterion of 1.5 OUE/m3, as a 98th percentile of hourly means over a calendar year.
Table 5: Industrial activities and indicative criteria of significant pollution.
Relative offensiveness of odour Indicative criterion
More offensive
odours
Activities involving putrescible wastes
Processes involving decaying animal or fish
remains
Processes involving septic effluent or sludge
Brickworks
Biological landfill odours
Creamery
Fat & Grease Processing
Waste water treatment
Oil refining
1.5 OUE/m3
(1.0 OUE/m3)*
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Livestock feed Factory
Odours which do not
obviously fall within
a high or low
category
Intensive livestock rearing
Fat frying (food processing)
Sugar beet processing
Well aerated green waste composting
3 OUE/m3
(2.5 OUE/m3)*
Less offensive
odours (but not
inoffensive)
Chocolate Manufacture
Brewery
Confectionary
Fragrance and Flavourings
Coffee Roasting
Bakery
6 OUE/m3
(5.5 OUE/m3)*
*Local adjustment for hypersensitive populations (odour generated a high level of complaint) - Reference: EA H4
Guidance Appendix 6.
The ADMS5 dispersion model calculates long-term and short-term concentrations and deposition fluxes
from point-, line-, area- and volume- sources. Long term averages can be in terms of averages, rolling
averages, percentiles or number of exceedences.
If the percentile and frequency of exceedence mechanisms are not fully grasped, a danger exists that the
results may potentially be misinterpreted. Following is a brief discussion on this objective.
The 98th percentile gives the concentration which is exceeded 2% of the time. While it is acknowledged
that an odour at say 5 OUE/m3, which is much higher than that of 1.5 OUE/m3, can be considered as a
faint odour, it is the 98th percentile metric that should be appreciated in this assessment, as it is the 2%
of hourly average odour concentrations above that level that determine a populations response.
The 98th percentile can also be expressed as the number of allowable exceedences. The number of
allowable exceedences (N) based on a 98th percentile of hourly means over a calendar year is calculated
as follows:
8760 − 𝑁
8760 × 100 = 98𝑡ℎ 𝑃𝑒𝑟𝑐𝑒𝑛𝑡𝑖𝑙𝑒
𝑁 = 175.2
The allowable number of exceedence means you are allowed to exceed, for instance, the hourly average
benchmark of Odour (1.5 OUE/m3) for 175.2 1-hour periods in a year (Refer to Table 4). This is not high
when one considers that there are 8760 1-hour periods in a year.
To put this in perspective, should a model output show an exceedence from say 1 to 100 over an area,
it would mean that the benchmark of 1.5 OUE/m3was exceeded for up to 100 out of the 8760 hours
throughout the year. The model accounts for even the smallest exceedence of the threshold (1.5
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OUE/m3), e.g. 1.5001 OUE/m3 and these exceedences may have taken place sequentially or intermittently
throughout the year.
Ambient air quality objectives (such as the 1.5 odour unit’s benchmark used in this assessment) apply to
areas where there is public access outside the property boundary and occupational health and safety
criteria apply to environmental conditions within the property boundary.
Any modelled results that project exposures above the benchmark level (1.5 OUE/m3, as a 98th percentile
of hourly means over a calendar year), after taking uncertainty into account, indicates the likelihood of
unacceptable odour pollution.
Results
The hourly mean odour ground level concentrations, for all operating scenarios, are illustrated in Figure
7. The 98th percentile of hourly means over the calendar year and frequency of exceedences, for all
operating scenarios, can be seen in the subsequent figures, Figure 8 and Figure 9.
From Figure 7, we see that high hourly mean odour ground level concentrations are restricted to within
the site boundary. An hourly mean odour ground level concentration of 1.5 OUE/m3 can be found slightly
outside the site boundary for all three scenarios.
However while it is acknowledged that an odour at say 5 OUE/m3, which is much higher than that of 1.5
OUE/m3, can be considered as a faint odour, it is the 98th percentile metric that should be appreciated in
this assessment, as it is the 2% of hourly mean odour concentrations above that level that determine a
populations response.
The 98th percentile metric was exceeded up to ≥2.5km outside the site boundary for both the no control
scenario and the scenario where the condensers are the only form of odour treatment, and the odour
impact extends over a number of surrounding residences (Refer to Figure 8). As an alternative, the
number of exceedences of the 1.5 OUE/m3 odour threshold can be seen in Figure 9. The 98th percentile
metric allows for 175.2 exceedences of the1.5 OUE/m3 odour threshold.
The current scenario was shown to exceed the benchmark approximately 300m from the eastern
boundary of the site. The benchmark was not exceeded over any surrounding residences. The current
scenario is therefore considered the most appropriate. Note that for this study a control efficiency of
79.8% (Sironi S et al, 2007) was used. Should the biofilter not be properly maintained, it may result in an
increased odour impact. Figure 10, 11 and 12 provides an illustration of the effect the topography and
wind field have on the dispersion of the odour from the rendering facility over the surrounding land use.
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Figure 7: Mean hourly odour ground level concentrations (OUE/m3) for all scenarios.
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Figure 8: 98th Percentile of hourly means over a calendar (OUE/m3) for all scenarios.
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Figure 9: Exceedence of the 1.5 OUE/m3 odour threshold for all scenarios.
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Figure 10: Mean hourly odour ground level concentrations (OUE/m3) for the current scenario.
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Figure 11: 98th Percentile of hourly means over a calendar (OUE/m3) for the current scenario.
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Figure 12: Exceedence of the 1.5 OUE/m3 odour threshold for the current scenario.
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3. ODOUR MANAGEMENT AND CONTROL
MEASURES
Opportunities to minimize or avoid odour can be categorised into three components: source, pathway
and receptor. All three of these components must be present and connected at the time of the event to
result in exposure to odour. If the chain is broken, either because one component is missing, or because
it is not connected at the time to the next component, then exposure cannot occur and there will be no
odour impact.
Following are two tables that describe how the link between the most offensive odour sources at the
Chubby Chick rendering facility and the surrounding receptors can be interrupted by both management-
(Refer to Table 6) and control measures (Refer to Table 7). Please note that the most offensive odours
include:
Waste intake and storage area;
Blood tank;
Pressure cooking vessels; and
Wastewater treatment facilities (Trenches, Sump and Earth evaporation pond).
Unit processes that generate less offensive odours include the:
Milling and screening-; and
Bagging, storage and dispatch of Product.
To prevent these sources from becoming more offensive, they require regular cleaning and good
housekeeping to prevent residue build up; and regular maintenance of infrastructure and equipment to
prevent their wear and/or failure thereof (Refer to table 8 for operational maintenance and monitoring
plan).
This OMP should be viewed as a “live” document which is regularly reviewed, informed by the ongoing
operation of the process and updated. Should ongoing operation inform that some of the areas
associated with less offensive odours require management or control, the OMP should be updated to
include these sources in the tables below.
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Table 6: Management and operational procedures and responsibilities for most offensive odour sources from fugitive sources.
Management
measures
Hierarchy
of
measure
Operational procedures Status/ Controls in place Responsibility
Preventing the
formation of
odorants at source
within the process.
I Avoid receiving aged raw material (Mortalities from farms, Feathers, Dead-On-Arrivals, condemned carcasses after de-
feathering, condemned material from inspection points at evisceration and other places where condemned material can be
generated, floor waste and blood) by better supply chain management through the implementation of a Waste Management
Procedure (WMP) for the broiler farms and abattoirs.
Informal plan in place
Legislation:
Meat Safety Act, 2000 (Act
40 of 2000);
Fertilizers, Farm Feeds,
Agricultural Remedies and
Stock Remedies Act of 1947
(Act 36 of 1947).
Chubby Chick abattoir manager to
develop WMP for abattoirs and
broiler farms.
Chubby Chick rendering plant
manager’s responsibility to ensure
implementation of the WMP.
Prevent raw material build up and minimise odour generated from bacterial degradation, by prompt processing of waste
material.
All material received for rendering must be processed within 24hours. Alternatively, carcases must be refrigerated at the
facility where it is generated to avoid decomposition of material.
Regular cleaning and good housekeeping of the intake area to prevent residue build up.
Daily Rendering plant manager
Develop and ensure the implementation of a site inspection report based on the operational maintenance and monitoring
plan.
To be done Rendering plant manager
Develop an incident report wherein all reports and/or notifications of incidents and anticipated incidents of abnormal or out-
of-course events and in particular, failure events should be recorded.
To be done Rendering plant manager
Develop a Preventative and or Corrective Measures Report to record all actions taken to prevent and/or correct abnormal or
out-of-course events and in particular, failure events. This report should also allow for handling of complaints from the
complaints register.
To be formalised Rendering plant manager
Compile a formal complaints register and protocol.
The Complaints register should provide for correct recording of the date and time, name and surname of the complainant
and the complaint. Advice the complainant that as much detail of the offense as possible is necessary, the following details
are very important and should be provided if possible:
Intensity of odour;
Offensiveness;
Weather conditions;
Wind direction; and
Distance from site.
To be put in place Rendering plant manager
Review the following reports annually, to identify trends and areas for improvement:
Complaints register;
Site inspection report;
Incident report; and
Preventative and/or corrective measures report.
To be included in Management
Review report.
Rendering plant manager
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Management
measures
Hierarchy
of
measure
Operational procedures Status/ Controls in place Responsibility
Develop training material based on the following topics taken from this OMP:
Odour as an aesthetic impact;
Odour management and control measures;
Operational Maintenance and Monitoring Plan and compiling site inspection reports;
Odour contingency preparedness plan and response procedure; and the
Roles and responsibilities of each person.
To be included in the Induction
Training.
Rendering plant manager/Training
section
All existing and new employees should be trained (internally) on the following topics found in this OMP:
Odour as an aesthetic impact;
Odour management and control measures;
Operational Maintenance and Monitoring Plan and compiling site inspection reports;
Odour contingency preparedness plan and response procedure; and the
Roles and responsibilities of each person.
Please note that the frequency of training should be increased in the event of an incident or complaint.
To be included in the Induction
Training.
Rendering plant manager/Training
section
Preventing the
release of odorous
air to the
atmosphere by
containment and
odour control.
II Containers or vehicles transporting waste, including blood, to the rendering facility must be leak-proof. Chubby Chick Enterprises is in the
process of applying for a Waste
Management License in terms of the
Waste Act of 2008 (Act No. 59 of
2008).
Chubby Chick Enterprises
Design, construct and maintain well-sealed buildings. Doorways may therefore need to be protected by fast acting doors,
self closers, air “curtains” or, in the extreme, air lock compartments.
Refer to Table 8 for the scheduled
odour control maintenance and
management plan.
Chubby Chick Enterprises to
ensure the proper design and
construction of well-sealed
buildings.
Rendering plant manager to do a
site inspections of the rendering
facility and identify areas of
improvement.
Minimise odour concentrations within the overall building headspace air, principally by covering or enclosing the source of
odour and concentrating localised extraction directly from the covered or enclosed odour sources.
Please note: The control of point sources is typically more straightforward than is the case for large, dispersed area or volume
sources. Extracted air can be treated through passing it through an odour treatment technology and/or by optimising height
of the stack and therefore dispersion of the odour.
To be investigated and implemented.
Rendering plant manager to do a
site assessment of the rendering
facility and identify the viability of
covering or closing the source of
odour (for instance at the material
intake area or the sump, etc.)
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Management
measures
Hierarchy
of
measure
Operational procedures Status/ Controls in place Responsibility
The following table was extracted from Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA), Odour Guidance for
Local Authorities, dated March 2010, in support of the above recommendation.
Industry Containment & Extraction Dispersion through stacks
Pet food manufacture ✓✓✓ ✓✓
✓✓✓ = most common / preferred method; ✓✓ = method used but may be limited to specific scale or process type; ✓ = rare use / limited data.
Chubby Chick Enterprises to
ensure the proper design and
implementation of the control
measure of covering or closing of
the source of odour, should it be
found viable.
Develop an OMP that includes routine checks and maintenance of building structures, odour control equipment, and
contingency plans for odour control equipment failures and breakdowns.
Procedure in place.
Refer to Table 8 for the operational
maintenance and monitoring plan.
Refer to Table 8 for the contingency
preparedness and response plan.
Rendering plant manager
Preventing or
controlling the
transportation of
odorants from the
source reaching
receptors.
III Should any extraction or ventilation measures be considered for the rendering facility, following the findings of the above
mentioned operating procedure, the following should be investigated:
The effect that different stack designs would have on the odour impact. The impact of odours can be reduced by
improving mixing and dispersion e.g. by the use of tall stacks;
Locating vents away from residents (Please refer to 2.6 within this document for an illustration of the wind flow field
and likely dispersion of the odour); and
The necessity of implementing odour treatment technologies.
To be investigated and implemented.
Rendering plant manager to do a
site assessment of the rendering
facility and identify viability of
extraction and ventilation
measures and the necessity of an
odour treatment technology (for
instance at the material intake area
or the sump, etc.)
Chubby Chick Enterprises to
ensure the proper design and
implementation of the extraction
and ventilation should it be found
viable.
Influencing the
quality or
concentration of
the odour to
reduce the
perception of
odours as an
impact on
receptors.
IV Chubby Chick rendering facility has installed two condensers and a biofilter for the treatment of odorous emissions from their
pressure cooking vessels.
According to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA), biofilters are the most effective odour
treatment technology currently available for treating odour streams which are contaminated with “water soluble” gases (e.g.
ammonia and hydrogen sulphide), such as in the case with Chubby chick rendering facility. Biofilters can also be quite
effective with lower solubility odorants (depending on its design) to the extent that long residence time biofilters can be more
effective than wet scrubbers where there are low solubility compounds in an odour stream.
Following are a few important considerations, taken from DEFRA, to be taken into account when operating a biofilter:
Annual maintenance of litter material. Rendering plant manager
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Management
measures
Hierarchy
of
measure
Operational procedures Status/ Controls in place Responsibility
Residence times need to be selected with due consideration given to media particle size, expected solubility of
odorants, possible fluctuations in odour load and the proposed irrigation regime.
It is often assumed that providing the untreated air stream is very humid, or if there is some humidification of the supply
air, then irrigation will not be needed. This is rarely the case as media beds can still dry out even with fully saturated
air streams.
Biofilters are simple and have relatively low management requirement, but they do require some basic checks, to
ensure that the media is kept wet (in some installations frequent irrigation is absolutely critical) and media condition
needs periodic checking. Some mediums, such as wood chip and heather (and sea shells in acidic odour applications)
degrade naturally and will have to be periodically replaced. They also have to be checked for fissuring and other causes
of uneven air distribution.
For more information optimum design and operation of a biofilter, reference can be made to the following source:
Sniffer (June 2014), Understanding biofilter performance and determining emission concentrations under operational
conditions, Final report ER36.
Should any odour treatment technologies be considered for future upgrades of the rendering facility, the following information
may be used to choose a feasible odour treatment technology:
The following table was extracted from Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA), Odour Guidance for
Local Authorities, dated March 2010, in support of the above recommendation.
Industry Adsorption Liquid
scrubbing
Biofiltration Bioscrubbers Ozone
& UV
Thermal
oxidation
Plasma Neutralising
agents
Pet food
manufacture
✓ ✓✓ ✓✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓
✓✓✓ = most common / preferred method; ✓✓ = method used but may be limited to specific scale or process type; ✓ = rare
use / limited data.
For more information on advantages and disadvantages of the above mentioned odour abatement technologies please refer
to the following source document:
Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) (March 2010), Odour Guidance for Local Authorities
Final, DEFRA, London, United Kingdom.
To be investigated and implemented.
Rendering plant manager to do a
site assessment of the rendering
facility and identify viability of odour
treatment technologies (for
instance at the material intake area
or the sump, etc.).
Chubby Chick Enterprises to
ensure the proper design and
implementation of the odour
control technology, should it be
found viable.
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Table 7: Control measures and responsibilities for most offensive odour sources.
Source Control measure Status of control measure Responsibility
Pressure
cooking
vessels
Condensers and
biofilter
In place.
Repair and maintenance should be undertaken in
accordance with the manufacturer’s
recommendations.
The availability of equipment and spares should
be considered.
Refer to Table 8 for frequency of operation.
Rendering Plant
Manager
4. OPERATIONAL MAINTENANCE AND MONITORING
PLAN AND EMERGENCY RESPONSE PLAN
Regular maintenance of infrastructure and equipment, at the rendering facility, prevents wear and/or
failure thereof, and in so doing reduces the potential of odour impact on the surrounding neighbourhood.
Compliance monitoring and reporting aids in determining the odour impact beyond the boundary of the
site and helps to evaluate whether the process is operated in accordance with best practice and can help
identify if an otherwise unidentified problem or abnormal operation is occurring within the process or
management procedures.
Abnormal or out-of-course events and in particular, failure events are important in odour management.
Often pollution and complaint issues arise from transient or short term conditions that provide a
mechanism for the release of substantial quantities of unabated process exhaust and consequently cause
offensive odour beyond the boundary fence (e.g. from containment failure, abatement bypass or
overloading).
It is therefore important to consider carefully scenarios that could cause a serious breach of the odour
boundary condition and put measures in place to minimise the likelihood of them occurring. Should such
a release occur please refer to Table 9 for the odour related emergency response procedure.
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Table 8: Operational Maintenance and Monitoring plan.
Maintenance &
Monitoring
Measures
Infrastructure/Equipment Operational procedures Frequency Responsibility
Cleaning and
good
housekeeping
Skips Clean with high pressure hot and/or cold water. Daily C1 and RPM
Vehicles (e.g. Bob cat) Clean with high pressure hot and/or cold water. Daily C and RPM
Waste intake and storage area Clean with high pressure hot and/or cold water. Daily C and RPM
Hopper Clean with high pressure hot and/or cold water. Daily C and RPM
Blood tanks Clean with high pressure hot and/or cold water. Daily C and RPM
Pressure cooking vessels Clean with high pressure hot and/or cold water. Weekly C and RPM
Hammer mill and screen Clean with high pressure hot and/or cold water. Weekly C and RPM
Bagging and dispatch area Clean with high pressure hot and/or cold water. Daily C and RPM
Sump Remove all solids and fats recovered from screens. Weekly C and RPM
Wastewater treatment facilities Desludge ponds when accumulated solids rise to within approximately
30cm of the water surface.
3 Monthly C and RPM
Detergents used in the rendering facility should be suitable for
biological treatment as far as possible.
Done and
on-going
RPM
Boilers Use high-grade coal where possible as lower grade coal may result in
higher sulphur emissions.
Only A
grade
C and RPM
Condensers Cleaning of condensers should be undertaken in accordance with the
manufacturer’s recommendations.
Weekly C and RPM
Biofilter Cleaning of the biofilter should be undertaken in accordance with the
manufacturer’s recommendations.
Daily C1 and RPM
1 C – Cleaner, MM – Maintenance Manager, M – Manufacturer, O – Operator, RPM – Rendering Plant Manager, QC – Quality Controller.
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Inspection of
infrastructure
and equipment
Skips Inspect residue build up and integrity of equipment (Containers must
be leak-proof.)
Daily O and RPM
Vehicles (e.g. Bob cat) Inspect residue build up and integrity of equipment Daily O and RPM
Waste intake and storage area Inspect residue build up and integrity of infrastructure Daily O and RPM
Hopper Inspect residue build up and integrity of equipment (Containers must
be leak-proof.)
Daily O and RPM
Blood tanks Inspect residue build up and integrity of equipment (Containers must
be leak-proof.)
Daily O and RPM
Pressure cooking vessels Inspect residue build up and integrity of equipment (Containers must
be leak-proof.)
Daily O and RPM
Hammer mill and screen Inspect residue build up and integrity of equipment Daily O and RPM
Bagging and dispatch area Inspect residue build up and integrity of infrastructure Daily O and RPM
Sump Inspect residue build up and integrity of infrastructure (Walls, pipes etc.
must be leak-proof.)
Daily O and RPM
Dig out, clean and check structure. Weekly O and RPM
Wastewater treatment facilities Inspect integrity of infrastructure, equipment (Ponds, tanks, pipes etc.
must be leak-proof.)
Daily O and RPM
Pond equilibrium Daily O and RPM
Boiler Smoke from stack (Dark smoke is an indication of poor combustion) Daily O and RPM
Stack condition Annually O and RPM
Type of coal used in the boiler (Request supplier to provide this
information with coal purchased).
Whenever
there is a
change of
supplier
O and RPM
Condensers Inspect residue build up and integrity of equipment Weekly RPM
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Biofilter Inspect residue build up and integrity of equipment Weekly RPM
Scheduled
maintenance
and service
Skips Scheduled maintenance and service Daily MM
Vehicles (e.g. Bob cat) Scheduled maintenance and service Daily MM
Waste intake and storage area Scheduled maintenance and service Weekly MM
Hopper Scheduled maintenance and service Weekly MM
Blood tanks Scheduled maintenance and service Weekly MM
Pressure cooking vessels Scheduled maintenance and service Weekly MM
Hammer mill and screen Scheduled maintenance and service Weekly MM
Bagging and dispatch area Scheduled maintenance and service Weekly MM
Sump Scheduled maintenance and service Daily MM
Wastewater treatment facilities Scheduled maintenance and service Daily MM and M
Boiler Scheduled maintenance and service (Optimal combustion will allow for
‘cleaner’ stack emissions)
Daily MM and M
Condensers Repair and maintenance should be undertaken in accordance with the
manufacturer’s recommendations.
Weekly MM and M
Biofilter Repair and maintenance should be undertaken in accordance with the
manufacturer’s recommendations.
Daily MM and M
Training Training All existing and new employees should be trained on the following
topics found in this OMP:
Odour as an aesthetic impact;
Odour management and control measures;
Operational Maintenance and Monitoring Plan and compiling site
inspection reports;
Odour contingency preparedness plan and response procedure;
and the
Quarterly RPM
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Roles and responsibilities of each person.
Please note that the frequency of training should be increased in the
event of an incident or complaint.
Record keeping Site inspection report All inspection of infrastructure and equipment should be recorded. Monthly MM and M1
Review records Weekly MM and M
Incident report All reports and/or notifications of incidents and anticipated incidents of
abnormal or out-of-course events and in particular, failure events
should be recorded.
Per
incident on
Aims
QC
Review records Weekly RPM
Preventative and/or corrective
measures report
All actions taken to prevent and/or correct abnormal or out-of-course
events and in particular, failure events should be recorded.
Weekly RPM and QC
Review records Weekly RPM and QC
Complaints register Records of complaints should be kept for at least two years. Done and
on-going.
QC
Records should be kept of actions taken to address complaints. Done and
on-going.
QC
Training A copy of the training scope and an attendance register of each training
event.
Done and
on-going.
RPM and QC
1 C – Cleaner, MM – Maintenance Manager, M – Manufacturer, O – Operator, RPM – Rendering Plant Manager, QC – Quality Controller.
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Table 9: Odour Related Emergency Response Procedure.
Contingency situation Response measures Responsibility
Infrastructure wear and/
or Equipment failure
Report incident and/or complaint to the site manager Employee or shift supervisor
Verify whether the incident and/or complaint reported is in fact
an incident and/or a legitimate complaint.
Rendering Plant Manager
Notify the managing director and adjacent land owners of
incident.
Pro-actively advise stakeholders/neighbours of potential
problems during shutdowns, process upsets and other
abnormal situations.
Rendering Plant Manager
Investigate corrective and preventative measures Rendering Plant Manager
Major incidents are to be reported to authorities within 24 hours Managing Director
Complete corrective and preventative action Rendering Plant Manager
Implement preventative and/or corrective measures Rendering Plant Manager
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5. SUMMARY
Chubby Chick Enterprises’ Rendering Facility is an inedible rendering plant, i.e. it produces a product
that is not intended for human consumption. The facility currently receives chicken waste [blood,
feathers, chicken pieces, fat and intestines (mala)] from the two Chubby Chick abattoirs in Potchefstroom
and also receives chicken mortalities from the Fourie’s Poultry (part of Cycle City) chicken farms on a
daily basis.
A maximum of 60 tonnes of poultry waste is processed per day. The facility operates 24/7 and processes
the poultry waste into a high-protein poultry by-product meal (PBPM). The meal is used as a protein
source in the production of animal feeds.
The generation of odorants is generally the most significant issue at a rendering facility. Sources of
odorous emissions from the rendering facility include:
Steam from the pressure cooker vessels;
Fugitive emissions from the working environment, such as:
Biological degradation of raw material (e.g. Waste intake and storage area);
Vapour leaks from machinery (e.g. Blood tank); and
Wastewater treatment facilities (e.g. Earth evaporation pond).
Chubby Chick Enterprises employed Shangoni Management Services to develop an Odour Management
Plan (OMP) for their rendering facility in the Potchefstroom area, so that they may comply to the following
legislative conditions applicable to their facility (Refer to section 1.2: National Legislative Requirements;
1.2.1, 1.2.2 and 1.2.3):
“Taking reasonable steps to prevent the emission of any offensive odour caused by any activity on
their premises”;
“A fugitive emissions management plan must be included in the Atmospheric Emission Licenses
for listed activities that are likely to generate such emissions”; and
“Best practice measures intended to minimise or avoid offensive odours must be implemented by
all installations. These measures must be documented to the satisfaction of the Licensing
Authority”.
An OMP is a documented, operational plan describing reasonable measures to be implemented by the
rendering plant manager in anticipation of the formation of odours and their release from the site. It
considers procedures and techniques to manage odours across the whole of the process, and odour
exposure chain (Source-Pathway-Receptor).
Management should refer to Table 6 for operational procedures to manage odour and Table 7 for the
control of odour by treatment technologies. Table 8 provides an operational maintenance and monitoring
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plan. This operational maintenance and monitoring plan should be used to develop a site inspection
report.
Abnormal or out-of-course events and in particular, failure events are important in odour management.
Often pollution and complaint issues arise from transient or short term conditions that provide a
mechanism for the release of substantial quantities of unabated process exhaust and consequently cause
offensive odour beyond the boundary fence (e.g. from containment failure, abatement bypass or
overloading). Should such a release occur please refer to Table 9 for the odour related emergency
response procedure.
The following reports and registers should also be developed, implemented and reviewed as specified in
Table 8 of the OMP:
Complaints register;
Incident report; and
Preventative and/or corrective measures report.
Develop training material based on the following topics taken from this OMP:
Odour as an aesthetic impact;
Odour management and control measures;
Operational Maintenance and Monitoring Plan and compiling site inspection reports;
Odour contingency preparedness plan and response procedure; and the
Roles and responsibilities of each person.
All existing and new employees should be trained on these topics (see above). Please note that the
frequency of training should be increased in the event of an incident or complaint (Refer to Table 8 for
frequency of training).
This OMP should be viewed as a “live” document which is regularly reviewed, informed by the ongoing
operation of the process and updated.