Texas Sues Bastrop Rendering Plant Over Foul Odors

State alleges Darling Ingredients facility is violating air quality rules and causing health issues for nearby residents.

Published on Feb. 9, 2026

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The Texas Attorney General has filed a lawsuit against Darling Ingredients, a large rendering facility in Bastrop County, alleging that the plant's foul odors are violating the Texas Clean Air Act and causing health problems for nearby residents. The state says the facility, which processes chicken byproducts and old cooking oil, has received over 1,400 complaints about noxious smells of "rotten flesh, dead animals, and sewage" that can be detected up to 10 miles away.

Why it matters

This case highlights ongoing tensions between industrial facilities and local communities over environmental and public health concerns. Rendering plants play an important role in recycling waste products, but their operations can have significant impacts on nearby residents if not properly managed. The lawsuit raises questions about the enforcement of air quality regulations and the balance between economic interests and community wellbeing.

The details

According to the lawsuit, Darling Ingredients' Bastrop facility has been cited multiple times by the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality for exceeding legal limits on emissions of hydrogen sulfide, a chemical that produces a rotten egg smell. The company is also accused of failing to properly record when rendering materials and raw blood enter its holding areas. Residents have complained of experiencing nausea, headaches, vomiting, and burning throats and eyes due to the odors.

  • Since May 2024, residents have made over 1,400 complaints to the TCEQ about the plant's odors.
  • The facility has been investigated four times by the TCEQ since July 2024.
  • In January 2026, 44 complaints were filed by residents about health issues caused by the odors.

The players

Darling Ingredients

A large, publicly traded company that operates 260 rendering facilities across the country, turning waste products into animal feed, fuel, and wellness ingredients.

Ken Paxton

The Attorney General of Texas, who has filed a civil lawsuit against Darling Ingredients over the Bastrop facility's alleged air quality violations and nuisance odors.

Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ)

The state environmental regulator that has cited Darling Ingredients' Bastrop facility multiple times for exceeding legal limits on hydrogen sulfide emissions.

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What they’re saying

“Darling Ingredients continues to emit air contaminants in the form of this odor that is so offensive that it is interfering with the local community's use and enjoyment of their property.”

— Ken Paxton, Attorney General of Texas (Statesman.com)

“The unbearable smell from this facility needs to be addressed. It is making my entire neighborhood in Elgin smell like dead skunk a couple times per week.”

— Adrian Moss, Resident (Google Review)

What’s next

The judge presiding over the case will decide whether to grant the state's request for an injunction to impose stricter monitoring and operational requirements on the Darling Ingredients facility in order to bring the odor issues under control.

The takeaway

This lawsuit highlights the ongoing challenges communities face in balancing the economic benefits of industrial facilities with the need to protect public health and quality of life. The case underscores the importance of robust environmental regulations and enforcement to ensure that companies like Darling Ingredients are good neighbors and mitigate the impacts of their operations on surrounding areas.