BERLIN, CT. (WFSB) – State health officials concluded there are no health risks from a food waste facility that has drawn complaints from residents for more than two years, but some say improvements still aren’t enough.
“The DPH concludes the past exposure to breathing in contaminants found in the air from the bright feet facility is not expected to harm people’s health,” said Cheryl Fields, Department of Public Health.
Bright Feeds, which turns food waste into animal feed, began operating in October 2022. Since then, residents have complained about noise and odor from the facility.
“It’s not only a nuisance but also a health issue like lack of sleep depression,” said Adrian, a Berlin resident.
Complaints prompted several assessments by the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection, including a violation in 2024.
In 2025, Bright Feeds began making changes, including installing an oxidator in April that destroys pollutants with heat. The Department of Public Health said that’s when exposure for residents ended.
Ryan Malloy, a Berlin resident, described his experiences before the changes.
“Burning skin, eye irritation, soot on our vehicles, immediate headaches for me. I can’t speak for everybody,” he said. “What we are missing here is that for almost 2 years. Citizens were terrorized by a company operating when they shouldn’t have been operating at all.”
“To me this company shouldn’t operate after 10pm. Because it’s not only me,” added Adrian.
Berlin Mayor Mark Kaczynski said there have been major improvements overall.
“It’s been a long road. It’s been a couple years but the company has been cooperative, DEEP, DPH, the town,” he said. “It wasn’t easy. It was a tough fix. They tried some different solutions earlier but it never took enough.”
“We remain committed to the continued operation of our facility that protects the well-being of our workers and the surrounding community.”
Residents say the smell has gone away, but the mayor asked anyone still dealing with noise issues to call town hall with specific days and times so officials can conduct more testing.
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