The State Attorney General Andrea Joy Campbell announced in December that Feedback Earth, Inc. has agreed to pay up to $250,000 in penalties for violations of the Massachusetts Clean Air Act and the Massachusetts Solid Waste Disposal Act. According to the AG’s office, the company installed unauthorized machinery, produced unapproved feedstocks, and emitted odors that impacted nearby residents.

Feedback Earth opened its facility on Creeper Hill Road in 2021 and soon after became the subject of complaints regarding strong odors. Company officials previously acknowledged that the use of tofu in its production process contributed to the smell.

In addition to the environmental violations, the AG’s office reported that some residents said the company made it difficult to file odor complaints by changing its hotline number, encouraging reports outside the MassDEP-mandated system, and making unannounced visits to complainants’ homes.

A preliminary injunction issued in October 2024 halted many of the company’s operations at the Grafton facility. Feedback Earth has since shut down the site and sold the property earlier this year for $4.04 million, according to the Worcester Business Journal.

Of the total settlement, $110,000 will be directed to the Massachusetts Environmental Justice Fund.

“Communities should not have to suffer the consequences of businesses prioritizing profits over compliance with our environmental laws,” Campbell said. “This settlement holds Feedback Earth accountable and puts other companies on notice that violations affecting public health will not be tolerated.”