City Brewery fines ceased as company works to reduce strong odor emissions

LA CROSSE (WKBT) -- The Board of Public Works has voted to end City Brewery's forfeiture that's required them to pay a daily fine of $100 since April.

On April 29, the board voted to fine the brewery after a leak in their water treatment plant's bioreactor released hydrogen sulfate (H2S) into the air.

H2S is colorless, flammable gas that has a "rotten egg" smell--one that La Crosse residents are familiar with.

At Monday's Board of Public Works meeting, Wastewater Treatment/Sewer Superintendent Jared Greeno said that City Brewery satisfied the violations in the compliance order, which included a force main failure repair, bioreactor roof repair and an H2S remediation report and reduction schedule.

"They had the force main break which is repaired," said Greeno. "The roof and bioreactor H2S, they put a band aid on it let's say, to kind of keep the orders down. They have some fans and H2S treatment going, they're working on some treatment of H2S in their bio reactor."

In April, a city engineer said that the temporary cover City Brewery put on the roof nine years ago needed to be replaced.

According to Greeno, they are working on adding a new roof to the reactor in addition to finding a new location for the treatment plant. He feels that City Brewery is putting in effort to reduce H2S.

Per the compliance order, a limit for H2S will be a part of the new pretreatment permit. A limit was not included in their previous permit.

The new permit will be presented to the Board of Public Works on Oct. 21. Greeno said if the limit is not met by City Brewery, they could potentially face fines again.

The brewery has already paid the City of La Crosse over $15,000 since April.

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