Lawsuit filed over Am. Fork plant's 'humanure' piles

AMERICAN FORK — Several Utah County cities and businesses are raising a stink over compost piles made from human waste at a sewage treatment plant, saying it's no way to treat the neighbors.

They filed a $425 million suit against the Timpanogos Special Service District in American Fork seeking relief.

"As the foul odor permeates the surrounding areas, it regularly causes physical illness among residents, workers and visitors," says the complaint in 4th District Court. It was filed earlier this week by American Fork, neighboring Pleasant Grove, the American Fork Chamber of Commerce and businesses including a BMW dealership and an RV park.

Residents have lodged complaints for years, and the sewer district has responded by trying to keep odors down. By 2010, officials said they were wrapping sludge piles in tarps that reportedly eliminated as much as 97 percent of the odor while hastening composting.

The lawsuit, however, says workers who uncover the piles to mix vegetation with human waste release "substantial, obnoxious and foul odors through several miles of surrounding commercial and residential areas."

Utah County commissioners were named in the suit because they oversee the Timpanogos Special Service District.

"I'm sad and disappointed in it, and I think there are other ways to work on it," Commissioner Larry Ellertson told the Daily Herald of Provo. "I think there has been much progress made and continued to be made."

The service district collects sewer waste from about 40,000 households and businesses from 10 cities across a wide area of northern Utah County.

The odors drive down rents in nearby office buildings, the suit says.

"For example, commercial building owners have greater difficulty leasing their spaces, lease rates are lower than they otherwise would be, and tenants have either left or have threatened to leave if the odor continues to plague the area," it said.

The district's manager, Jon Adams, said compost sales have been a big hit for years with human waste only a small part of the mix — "they call it 'humanure,' but I've never heard that term."