PTC industry pledges to scrub ammonia odor from new plant

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A company that is building a new manufacturing plant to produce probiotic feed additives for farm animals will have an air scrubbing system to keep odors from drifting beyond the Peachtree City plant.

Calpis USA will use two different three-stage deodorizers to cleanse the gas before it is discharged. While the manufacturing process creates an ammonia smell, the deodorizers will remove the smell so “no unique odor will be discharged from this facility,” according to an email from a company representative.

The Calpis plant will be located on Dividend Drive in the city’s industrial park near TDK Boulevard. Calpis, a Japanese-owned company, is expected to employ 42 people on the campus, according to a project description submitted to the city.

Monday night the Peachtree City Planning Commission gave its blessing for a conceptual site plan for two buildings on the 11.84 acre site: a 36,370 sq. ft. production building along with a separate 10,136 sq. ft. office building.

The commission placed a condition on the approval that Calpis had to work with the city further on the matter of the odor and discharge from the plant.

It was noted during the meeting that the city has no odor-control ordinance, but City Planner David Rast noted that city staff has a good working relationship with the Georgia Environmental Protection Division which can intervene for certain types of illicit discharges.

“They have been responsive in coming down and monitoring spills and releases in the city,” Rast said.

Calpis will use the facility to “manufacture additives for animal feed utilizing a process of culturing, drying and grinding a soybean-based product into a probiotic additive in powder form,” according to a memo from city staff.

The manufacturing facility will also require pre-treatment of wastewater before it is released into the city’s sewer system, and WASA officials have been working with Calpis on that matter, according to Rast. The city fire marshal, city engineer and airport manager have also been involved on the project and have not had any issues with the processing use of the facility, he added.