EASTON, MD - Some residents in Easton are speaking out about unpleasant odors they say are coming from a nearby seafood processing plant, describing the smell as “unbearable.” Those living around South Aurora Street say the stench can become a nuisance in their neighborhood.
“It is not a constant...odor, but when it is happening it is gut-wrenching. You literally walk out of your house and you have to check yourself and it is nauseating,” said South Aurora resident Philip Bernot.
Easton Council President Frank Gunsallus said he has heard from neighbors who believe the odor is coming from the nearby Chesapeake Brand Seafood facility.
“Chesapeake Brand Seafood is packaging the product to be shipped, and because it’s either FDA or USDA—one of the two requirements—they can’t put Old Bay in and use it in that process where Old Bay actually cuts the odor when the seafood is being steamed,” Gunsallus said.
According to Gunsallus, the area was rezoned about five years ago by a previous council to allow the seafood facility to operate in the neighborhood. However, the council is now reconsidering its regulations to address the odor issue, but to all seafood processing facilities.
“One option is to address it through odor control, which would essentially equate to a very costly...system for the facility to be able to mitigate those odors,” Gunsallus added.
Bruce Cole, owner of Cole’s Seafood in Easton, expressed concerns over the potential costs of such systems.
“It would probably be 50 to 100,000 dollars... It would really hurt it [his business], impact it a lot. I mean, you don’t have that money to come up and throw away,” Cole said.
Residents, however, are eager for a solution.
“We’ve started joking around here saying ‘stop the stench,’” Bernot said.
WBOC reached out to Chesapeake Brand Seafood on Monday and is awaiting a response.
Easton's Council held a public hearing on this possible legislation, Monday evening. If new legislation is passed, seafood processing facilities in Easton would be required to install odor mitigation systems by January 2026.
