Residents had an opportunity to review the Florida Department of Environmental Protection’s proposed Odor Control Plan for International Flavors and Fragrances and ask questions about IFF Chemical Holdings, Inc.’s Title V air operation permit renewal application at a public meeting hosted by the FDEP Northeast District.
Held at FSCJ Kent Campus on Thursday, May 15, the meeting drew a significant crowd of informed and concerned citizens interested in seeing how this could address the “objectionable odors” many of them continue experiencing in Murray Hill, Riverside and the surrounding areas.
About the Permit Renewal Application
The FDEP is reviewing IFF’s permit renewal application for its Jacksonville facility. The renewal application was submitted in March 2024. The draft permit would permit IFF to continue the processing of crude sulfate turpentine (CST) into products like fragrances and flavorings and would authorize the operation of its distillation system – separating sulfur compounds from CST – and three steam boilers, two of which burn the vapors resulting from the processing and a third generating the necessary steam for the operations.
According to FDEP, IFF “has held an air operation permit from DEP since 1981 and continues to meet all current federal emissions standards and permit conditions.”
According to the proposed IFF Odor Control Plan, IFF must continue maintaining measures to prevent emissions of Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs). The plan has identified IFF’s wastewater pond as an “unregulated air emissions source of [VOCs].” The necessary measures are as follows:
- “Maintain a floating hex-cover system – Hexagonal or Rhomboid floating pieces (Hexes) are placed on the surface of the wastewater pond, which decreases the open surface area between the pond surface and ambient air;
- Operate a pure oxygen diffusion system – IFF has installed a pure oxygen diffusion system for the wastewater pond, which allows for the removal of the surface aerators, decreases turbulence on the surface of the pond, and allows better coverage by the hexes; and
- Operate an oil/water separator – IFF has an upgraded enclosed oil/water separator that removes oil from wastewater before it enters the pond.”
An FDEP representative at Thursday’s meeting said IFF has already implemented these measures, and the proposed odor control plan stipulates these, or similar measures, must be maintained and FDEP must be alerted “if any comparable measures are used or switched.”
Resident Concerns
Judy Klein, a Murray Hill resident of 40 years, is no stranger to the odor, but is looking at this with a hopeful outlook, despite concerns that these measures may not fully resolve the problem.
“I guess we can be hopeful, but it’s been such an ongoing problem, it takes a lot to keep us optimistic,” Klein said.
Mark Stewart feels there has been improvement since the corrective measures have gone into effect.
“It has gotten better,” Stewart said. “My concern is with the things we’re not smelling, the things that are hazardous to our health.”
Stewart’s wife, Helene noted the “rancid, sickeningly sweet” odor had at times affected her asthma.
“I know it’s doing this to other people, too,” she said. “…I’m also wondering, what are the things that we can’t smell that are impacting our health?”
According to the draft permit renewal, the IFF facility “is not a major source of hazardous air pollutants.”
The proposed IFF Odor Control Plan also details steps for odor complaint investigation and response as well as requirements for monitoring, recordkeeping, and reporting. It would require IFF to provide FDEP with a “semi-annual report to the FDEP that includes all odor complaints (including information on the time, date, and location of the complaint), a summary of meteorological conditions during the complaint (i.e. wind direction and wind speed), and whether any malfunctioning and/or nonoperational odor control technology were observed during the post-complaint inspection.”
Murray Hill resident Chelsye Ginn is concerned about the self-reporting aspect of that plan.
“I’m deeply concerned by the lack of oversight included in that plan, because if the entity that is self-reporting date is the one who would face consequences if they are out of regulation, that’s kind of like putting the fox in the hen house and I don’t have a lot of faith in that system without more oversight from a third-party organization or government entity.”
IFF representatives were at the public meeting and shared the following statement with Resident News:
“IFF appreciates the chance to participate in the process related to renewing our Title V air permit. The State of Florida has some of the most stringent air permitting regulations in the country, and Title V permits ensure compliance with both state and federal environmental laws. IFF remains in full compliance with our Title V air permit. Throughout more than 20 years of operation at our Jacksonville facility, we have utilized best-in-class technology and robust monitoring processes to ensure that we are preventing air quality impacts and complying with all applicable laws. We look forward to continuing to work with the Florida Department of Environmental Protection throughout the permit renewal process.”
Looking Ahead
FDEP has yet to set the dates by which a proposed permit will be submitted to the Environmental Protection Agency for review or when final agency action will be taken. It accepted public comments up until May 22 following the public meeting.
District 7 City Councilmember Jimmy Peluso added that the City will continue its own monitoring of any odor complaints, but it will likely collaborate with the state on this matter.
“There’s a reason why FDEP accepted all of the City’s criteria and regulations, and it’s because they know the City’s done a great job over all these years, and now they’re going to be coming to help and make sure that they have their own enforcement protocols,” Peluso said. “So they’re going to work in tandem.”
Peluso encouraged anyone experiencing the odor to contact both the City and the FDEP to submit a complaint with both entities. He said this is a “quality of life issue,” and the meeting’s turnout speaks to the number of citizens impacted by it.
“It’s a sophisticated community that understands this problem,” Peluso said. “They’ve been living with it for years. Many people walk outside, and they have to come back inside almost immediately…So people came here armed with data, armed with personal experience, and I think IFF and FDEP listened.”
Resident News, alongside other media outlets, have previously reported on the odor issue, which stretches back several years, ultimately prompting the City to launch a year-long Urban Odor Study from April 2022 to March 2023. Before and during that study, between September 2020 and July 2023, IFF was identified as one of five entities to receive validated odor complaints.
Residents can submit complaints directly to FDEP regarding the odor by visiting https://floridadep.gov/northeast and selecting “Citizen Concern Form.”
Click here to read the full draft permit renewal application.
