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Northwest manteca resicients
<br /> .may get relief oext summer
<br /> north of the cheese factory, A&J
<br /> NANCY MAYER . 7
<br /> Foods,to a pond owned by longtime
<br /> �Of The Manteca Bulletin
<br /> South County farmerlerry DeGroot.
<br /> Connoisseurs of farm odors The California Regional Water
<br /> understand the difference between Quality Control Board says the
<br /> chicken, hog, and cow manure, but DeGroot family has until July I
<br /> :even lifelong farmers were Stumped 1992 to control the odor, probabi
<br /> y
<br /> about three years ago when a pun- with new equipment that extracts
<br /> �gent newcomer joined the blend. whey from wastewater during* the T
<br /> Acgpsaflons flew faster than the manufacturing process.
<br /> Former
<br /> wi nd,some appearing on the Mante- Southern 0 difornian
<br /> :ca Bulletin's editorial pages and in 'Greg Gaglio has owned the
<br /> :the Tell it to the Bulletin call-inbusiness for the past three years,but I
<br /> column.
<br /> the DeGroot family,which operated
<br /> But it's hot the Simti
<br /> plot fe lizor -the-clicese-busines&-bctweeh'19811 4 P
<br /> plant,Hayre',s-Eggs,thecheese fia'c- and 1989 suit owns the land
<br /> tory on Airport Road,,or goats. A building, and the waste.
<br /> state agency,one of several to field The smell Lends to be worse'
<br /> after
<br /> numerous complaints about a smell sundown, when oxygen level's are
<br /> so strong it wakes up farmers in the lower, because the bacteria are do
<br /> middle of the night, is pointing an manta It's. worse when :.it's hot
<br /> official finger at a three million gal- bemus
<br /> c malodorous gases are more
<br /> Ion wastewater pond in the county easily released at higher tempura-
<br /> area between Lathrop and Manteca. lures. Waste from Chiron Corpora-
<br /> Deep in the norLheast.comer of Lion,a pharmaceutical company next
<br /> Airport Way and Lathrop Road,bid- to the cheese factory,also discharges
<br /> den among vineyards-and fields of into,the.pond, but officials said its
<br /> alfalfa,is a frothy,white topping on contribution is minimal. . ....
<br /> a pond edged with orange, waxy- Members of the DeGroot family
<br /> looking chunks. Lifelong farmers question the fairness of singling out C
<br /> cannot describe the smell; they just one agricultural smell as worse uran...'
<br /> shut their windows even if they any other,but Jerry DeGroot admits
<br /> NANCY MAYERfrhe Bullefin:
<br /> have'no air conditioning—when it that every cheese factory he knows,, Deep in the northeast corner of Airport Way and Lathrop 9 oad, hidden among vineyards and fields of alfalfa,Is a frothy,white topping
<br /> ping on a pond'
<br /> wafts their way on hot summer of is installing equipment that sepa-.', edged with orange,waxy-looking chunks.State officials contend the pond Is the source of offensive smells that are annoying northwest Manteca
<br /> nights. - I I
<br /> rates whey. Most wastewater treat- residents.
<br /> Air pollution, water quality, and ment facilities won't accept whey.If
<br /> health officials agree the culprit is they do, they charge more for it.
<br /> cheese whey.It travels underground Many clicesemakers sell whey as
<br /> N 0
<br /> through a pipe under Airport Way cable feed.
<br /> sm.ell, was les§.'."Odensive
<br /> when it mixed with manure
<br /> Gaglio, who are, the namesakes for
<br /> Of The Manteca Bulletin
<br /> NANCY MAYER, A&J Foods.7le bulk of the family's
<br /> assets are in Southern California.
<br /> The cheese factory. on' Airport Greg Gaglio came north to operate
<br /> Way north of Lathrop Road didn't the local A&J Foods plant on his
<br /> create the same stink some three own.
<br /> years ago as it does today because
<br /> smelly byproducts were over- Neither family has used equip-
<br /> whel,med by, less. pungent cattle meet that would eliminate the odor,
<br /> waste; South County far- but due DeGroots used to operate a
<br /> in Jeity DeGroot said. dairy in conjunction with the cheese
<br /> mer
<br /> The DcGrooi family made jackbusiness. DeGroot estimates the
<br /> and cheddar cheese for eight years wastewater pond's contents used to
<br /> before selling the business to Greg be two-thirds cattle waste and one-
<br /> Gaglio, formerly of Southern Cali- third whey. Air pollution, water
<br /> fornia, 'who makes mozzarella quality, and health officials have
<br /> cheese. He sells it to wholesalers' confirmed that mostly-undiluted
<br /> who supply pizza restaurants. whey is causing distinctive new
<br /> Gaglio is the son of longtime odors that have prompted numerous
<br /> cheese makers Amelia and Joe nuisance complaints.
<br /> low
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