Have you ever caught a whiff of the chicken processing plant on the Congaree Riverfront? Yeah, thought so. Imagine that smell in your backyard.

West Columbia’s largest employer, House of Raeford chicken plant, produces nearly 281 million pounds of chicken meat each year. 10% of the city’s utility revenue is provided by the plant, which paid $1.2 million for water in 2016.

While the plant has been around for 60 years, it has been the cause of an increasing number of complaints in recent years as riverfront development grows in the area. Some residents + businesses are even calling for the plant to relocate.

West Columbia City Council has initially approved a set of restrictions to deal with the odor complaints, to be adopted by the end of November: allowing fines of $500 + up to 30 days in jail if an odor “annoys, disturbs, injures or endangers the comfort, repose, health, peace or safety of others.”

Complaints from at least six residents or from any city public safety official will instigate a check into odors.

3 min read / The State