Tempers flare, accusations fly as Mount Prospect approves additional testing of Prestige Feed

Mount Prospect village trustees agreed to hire a Chicago firm to test for possible health risks connected with animal feed producer Prestige Feed Products.

Trustees voted Tuesday to retain RHP Risk Management at a cost of $69,000 to conduct an airborne chemical assessment.

RHP will provide both air sampling and emission dispersion modeling from multiple data points to assist the village in its ongoing litigation with Prestige Feed.

“We've heard from residents who complain that they want to know what's being vented,” Village Manager Michael Cassady said. “This will help us.”

However, he added, “The IEPA has been involved in this for over a year. So if there was something that was a significant impact on the public health and safety, we would know about it.”

Prior to the vote, two Mount Prospect residents vented their frustration with the odors coming from Prestige’s plant at 431 Lakeview Court and its being allowed to operate.

Mount Prospect resident C.J. Zimmerman said he just wants the odor gone.

“Springtime is coming. We would like to open our windows. Our kids would like to stay out and play later,” he said. “My kids, as soon as they smell it, cover their faces and run inside and say, ‘Dad, it stinks outside.’”

One resident also complained about work ties between Cassady’s sons and Prestige’s landlord, Nicholas & Associates. Mayor Paul Hoefert said Cassady disclosed the connection years ago and said the board does not consider it a conflict.

Hoefert said the village can’t just march in and shut businesses down. He said the village has been doing what it needs to do to shut down Prestige, but the legal process has moved at a snail’s pace.

“There are only two ways this is resolved,” Hoefert said. “The company moves or they stop spewing the smell.”

Jack Brogan, who is running for the village board as a write-in candidate, suggested another approach. He called on the village to settle with Prestige.

“Settle this lawsuit right now to protect these residents. As a matter of fact, pay Prestige Feed what they need to cover their monthly cost to stay closed and pay all their attorneys,” Brogan said.

Brogan said Prestige should have never been authorized to operate and suggested whoever at the village allowed it should be criminally prosecuted.

Village officials didn’t say when testing would begin, but noted it would not be random. There was no timetable set for the village to release any results.