Overview
- Attorney General Ken Paxton filed the suit in Travis County seeking civil penalties that could range from under $250,000 to more than $1 million.
- The state asks the court to order odor controls, permit compliance, real-time hydrogen sulfide monitoring, and processing of raw poultry materials within 12 hours.
- TCEQ investigations since July 2024 documented multiple violations, including hydrogen sulfide readings near twice the allowable level and hundreds of missing dump-log entries.
- Residents have lodged extensive complaints — 44 in January and more than 1,400 since May 2024 — reporting health symptoms and odors detected up to 10 miles away.
- Darling Ingredients says it has received the lawsuit, will respond in court, and remains committed to being a good neighbor while operating a rendering facility that handles poultry byproducts and used cooking oil.