‘Offensive’ stock feed stench under control

A stench from damaged stock feed stored in a warehouse at Clifton, near Invercargill, has been contained.

Freight Haulage manager Greg Payne confirmed yesterday that the smell had come from the company’s Lake St yard.

The company had received a shipment of a corn-based stock feed, and the product had some moisture heating issues, because of a change in ambient temperature between point of origin and Southland, he said.

‘‘Unfortunately due to the requirement to handle and monitor the product there has been an odour produced from this process.’’

People visiting Environment Southland’s Facebook page described the smell as nauseating and offensive.

Freight Haulage had been working with both the importer and Environment Southland throughout the remediation process, and the product had now been contained and was no longer emitting an odour, he said.

Neither the odour nor the product was harmful to humans or animals, he said.

Environment Southland compliance manager Simon Mapp said staff have been out on a number of occasions in the past week to investigate.

Damage to the building in a recent storm, and hot weather conditions shortly after, had likely contributed to an unexpected increase in the smell, he said.

Environment Southland was still investigating the matter and could not comment on possible further action, Mapp said.