Dog food production in Bad Hersfeld: Expert opinion relieves residents!

Dog food production in Bad Hersfeld: Expert opinion relieves residents!

in the Bad Hersfeld industrial area, once home of a US barrack system, a new chapter in the production of dog food has been opened. The opening of the new "Balf" factory, which is known for its organic, species-appropriate and air-dried production, took place in spring 2024. The focus is particularly on the use of predominantly domestic products that not only secure the quality of the snacks, but also support regional farmers. But not everyone is pleased with the settlement. Local residents express their dissatisfaction loudly and find out about the associated odor nuisances.

The operator of the plant, Tanja Ehret, can look at a positive development: a judicial report, created by the Agricultural Investigation and Research Institute Lufa from Oldenburg, impressively certifies that the legally required odor values in Bad Hersfeld are significantly undercut. As Osthessen-News reported during the examination period. A heat exchanger contributed significantly to reducing the odor load, so that no odor intensity was found even in the outer close range of the system during the measurements.

technical requirements and expert confirmations

The odor hour load in the vicinity of the BALF system is less than 10 percent of the maximum possible annual hours. The limit of 25 percent for neighboring commercial uses was also not exceeded. This corresponds to the requirements according to the Appendix 7 of the TA Luft , which regulates the procedures for determining and evaluating odor emissions. These requirements have been created in order to ensure comprehensive protection against odor nuisance and to take into account both the preload and the additional burden of new systems.

The city of Bad Hersfeld has now been able to give the all -clear: no complaints have been recorded since the start of the production. This result is certainly a reason to be happy, not only for the operator Tanja Ehret, who highly praises her investments in the exhaust air technology, but also for the city that can come up with positive news.

relevance of odor emissions

But what exactly does smells so problematic for the residents? According to the odoric immission guideline , harassment by smells are considered significant and harmful, depending on various factors such as intensity and quality of the smells as well as the time distribution. Scientific knowledge enables and assess the grade of harassment properly. These guidelines are not only important for the authorities in approval procedures, but also serve as a control instrument in land use planning.

With the current positive reports and the compliance with all legal requirements, the "Balf" production seems to be on a promising path. It remains to be seen how residents will react to the ongoing developments. One thing is certain: in the discussion about smells in the built -up area there is still room for improvement - both for the operator and for concerned residents.