Odor Complaint

Reporting Odors to the City

Odors noticeable beyond a property line are considered a public nuisance under the South St. Paul City Code. Residents, property owners, and others are encouraged to report odor concerns using the City's Odor Complaint Form. The City will investigate and enforce odor-related ordinances.

Submitting an Odor Complaint

Timely reporting is critical for accurate investigation. Please provide:

Date and time the odor was noticed
Location(s) where the odor was detected
Odor description (e.g., chemical, burning, rotten, sour)
Odor strength on a scale from 0 (no odor) to 10 (extremely strong)
Wind direction (if known) — visit the National Weather Service for current data

Important: If you smell a sulfur or rotten egg odor indoors, it may be natural gas. Leave immediately and call 911 from a safe location.

Investigation and Enforcement

The City's code enforcement officer uses a Nasal Ranger field olfactometer to evaluate complaints. If a violation is verified and a source is identified, enforcement may include administrative citations of up to $2,000/day. Unpaid fines are assessed to property taxes.

Sanimax Settlement Summary (2020–2025)

Between 2020–2024, South St. Paul issued 57 citations to Sanimax USA LLC for verified odor violations. After litigation and appeals, a settlement was reached on March 17, 2025. Key terms include:

Sanimax USA LLC will pay the City $55,000 now.
The City will designate the Sanimax facility at 505-545 Hardman Avenue South a “Significant Odor Generator” which provides the City with additional regulatory tools under City Code Section 110-145. Sanimax agrees not to appeal the designation.
Sanimax USA LLC will submit an odor mitigation plan for the South St. Paul facility within 90 days of the City designating Sanimax as a Significant Odor Generator. The City will hire an expert to help review the plan and the City will have approval/denial authority over the odor mitigation plan and can require revisions to the plan.
After Sanimax implements the approved odor mitigation plan at the South St. Paul facility, there will be a 6-month grace period where the City will not issue administrative citations even if there are verified odor complaints. This will give Sanimax time to properly calibrate any new odor mitigation equipment that is installed at the facility.
Sanimax USA LLC will immediately pay the City an additional $52,000 if, after the 6-month grace period, the odor results have not improved, verified odor complaints continue during the period of follow-up testing, or Sanimax has not implemented the approved odor mitigation plan. The City will also resume issuing administrative citations.

Residents are encouraged to continue reporting odor issues to support monitoring and help isolate odor-generating processes.

Odor Regulations and Testing

Odors can impact public health and economic development. In 2014, the City adopted an odor ordinance that regulates significant odor sources. This ordinance enables the City to:

Test odor strength and frequency
Designate significant odor generators
Mandate odor mitigation plans

Odor Testing

The City retained SEH consultants to test odors near self-identified facilities. This data established baseline odor conditions and helped enforce regulations.

South St. Paul Business Consortium Study

In 2013, Dakota Premium Foods, Twin City Hide, Twin City Tanning, and Sanimax conducted an independent study to assess and monitor odor impact. Although not City-sponsored, results were shared with the City and informed future enforcement strategies.