Mount Prospect, Illinois – Prestige Feed Products, a prominent player in the animal feed industry, and the Village of Mount Prospect remain embroiled in a legal battle centered on persistent noise and odor grievances.
During a recent status hearing on February 28, Riccardo DiMonte, attorney for Prestige Feed Products, informed the court about an agreement with the village to exchange discovery and documents. This exchange is part of the village’s attempt to close down the animal feed plant due to alleged noise and odor violations. The judge scheduled a follow-up court appearance on March 20, during which an update on the discovery exchange and a deposition schedule will be presented.
DiMonte also disclosed that the results of a fourth study assessing noise and odor emissions from the plant, located in the Kensington Business Center, will be available by the next court date. He expressed confidence that the study’s findings would align with village codes.
The legal dispute traces back to May 2023 when Prestige Feed Products initiated a lawsuit against the Village of Mount Prospect. The lawsuit claims that the village plans to unlawfully revoke Prestige’s business license based on purportedly unfounded allegations of creating a public nuisance through unpleasant odors. According to Prestige, the village reneged on a prior agreement to abstain from legal action while the company addressed the odor complaints.
The village contends that Prestige’s operations are a nuisance, citing resident complaints about a distinctive ‘burnt cheese smell’ emanating from the facility. In response, Prestige commissioned scientific odor studies indicating that measured air discharges either registered as immeasurable or fell well below legal nuisance thresholds.
In a proactive measure, Prestige invested significantly in odor remediation equipment, allocating $432,594 between 2019 and 2022. The company also expressed a willingness to invest an additional $171,899 to install a specialized fan system to further mitigate odor concerns. Multiple expert reports shared by Prestige assert that the village lacks objective, measurable, or scientific data to substantiate their claims. The March 20 court date is anticipated to shed light on the ongoing legal complexities surrounding this contentious issue.
