Health Department Report on the Knauss Slaughterhouse
Excerpt from the Annual Report of the Department of Health of the State of New York for the year ending December 31, 1920
Digitized by Google from a copy provided by the University of California Library.
Printed Albany by J. B. Lyon Company, Printer 1921
Poughkeepsie (Town) Knauss Brothers
Herman M Biggs M.D., State Commissioner of Health
I beg to submit the following report upon an investigation of alleged objectionable conditions caused by the operation of and disposal of wastes from the abattoir of Knauss Brothers in the Town of Poughkeepsie, Dutchess County, NY. The investigation was made on October 28, 1920 by Mr. A. I. Howd, assistant engineer in this department, accompanied by the health officer of the Town of Poughkeepsie, as a result of the complaint of objectionable odors and offensive conditions created by the operation of the plant, and at the request of the local board of health of the town of Poughkeepsie.
The abattoir or slaughter house of Knauss Brothers is located in the town of Poughkeepsie about one and one-half miles north of the city of Poughkeepsie. The abattoir was constructed during 1919 and 1920, and was in operation in April, 1920. The plant is engaged in the slaughtering of pigs and beef and the rendering of the entrails and waste products of the animals. At the time of the inspection of maximum of 150 pigs and 25 beef were slaughtered weekly. The plant has a capacity of about double that amount. The slaughtering is done about once or twice a week and the wastes are rendered once or twice a week.
The method of rendering the wastes is briefly as follows: The waste products from the slaughtering of the animals are put into a digester of the Wannenwetech type and cooked for 4 or 5 hours by live steam at 40 pounds pressure. The grease is then drawn off into a closed storage tank and the water is discharged into a cesspool. The tankage is agitated and dried simultaneously with steam which is applied to the steam jackets, and the processes of rendering are conveyed through a pipe to a vacuum pump and jet condenser and discharged into the cesspool referred to above. No estimate could be obtained as to the amount of water used in the condenser.
The waste water and condensing water resulting from the rendering process are discharged through a 6-inch pipe to the cesspool located a short distance north of the plant. The cesspool which is 10 feet in diameter and 10 feet deep is loosely stoned up and is provided with a concrete cover. When first put into use the cesspool operated satisfactorily for a short time The cesspool then filled up and an overflow pipe line was run to a pond about 150 feet north of the cesspool. When complaint was made concerning the objectionable conditions created by overflow of the cesspool, two large trenches were constructed, filled with rocks and covered with earth.the overflow from the cesspool was then diverted to these trenches. At the time of the inspection the wastes were flowing out into the swamp from the ends of the trenches.
The pond or swamp receiving the overflow from the trenches is roughly some 150 feet in diameter, and was formed by the construction of a railroad embankment across a low depression which was the natural course of drainage for a relatively small area in the vicinity of the abattoir. The construction of the railroad bank some years ago caused the runoff from this area to back up and form a marsh which contains water most of the year. This condition has become more aggravated by the discharge of wastes from the abattoir. At the time of the inspection a light scum was noticeable on portions of the swamp and an objectionable odor could be detected in the immediate vicinity. No odor could be detected a few hundred feet from the swamp but the conditions were unsightly. It seems, therefore, that while objectionable conditions were created at the time of the inspection no conditions of public nuisance existed. It should be remembered that it was cool on the day of the inspection and there was practically no wind. During warm weather under certain atmospheric conditions it seems that conditions of nuisance would probably be created. The discharge of wastes from the abattoir without a permit from this department is a direct violation of Article V of the Public Health Law.
Pilgrim Hall, a reception building of the Hudson River State Hospital, is situated about three-fourths of a mile north of the abattoir and the swamp. It was stated by hospital authorities that the odor emanating from the abattoir and the swamp is very objectionable to patients at the hospital. Complaint was also made of the extraordinary prevalence of mosquitos and flies at the hospital. There are also several residences south and east of the plant which might be affected by any nuisance resulting from the operation of the abattoir.
There are evidently three classes of waste to be disposed of from the abattoir. The first class consists of the condensing water which includes the condensed vapors and gases generated in the processes of rendering. The water generally is practically free from any solid or suspended matter but may give off a slight odor. This class of waste might be discharged into a stream or watercourse without creating objectionable conditions. Although no figures could be obtained as to the amount of the wastes, they are known to be relatively large. The second class of wastes consists of the water which is drawn off from the digest er aft er the process of rendering. This water may contain particles of grease, tankage, and other solid and suspended matter, and should therefore be passed through a settling tank having a capacity sufficient to provide a detention of the wastes of 8 or 10 hours, and the effluent treated by some method of filtration. The effluent from the filter beds might be discharged into a stream or watercourse together with the condensing water. This class of wastes is relatively small The third class of wastes consists of washings from floors and apparatus and may contain small amounts of blood, scraps, dirt, and other solid matter which might find its way to the floors of the plant. In view of the nature of this class of wastes they should be discharged, together with the water from the digester, into a settling tank.
In view of the many features involved in the proper disposal of the wastes, a competent engineer should be employed by the owners of the abattoir of Knauss Brothers, in the town of Poughkeepsie. These plans when prepared should be submitted to and receive the approval of this Department, in accordance with the provisions of the Public Health Law.
In view of the above facts, the following conclusions may be drawn:
1. That the construction of a railroad embankment without a culvert across a natural drainage course a short distance north of the abattoir of Knauss Brothers in the t own of Poughkeepsie causes surface and ground water to accumulate and create marshy and objectionable conditions.
2. That the above conditions become more aggravated by the discharge of wastes from the Knauss Brothers abattoir into the marshy area.
3 That objectionable conditions were created at the time of the inspection, and conditions of nuisance would probably exist during warm weather under certain atmospheric conditions.
4. That the discharge of wastes from this abattoir without a permit is a direct violation of Article V of the Public Health Law.
5. That the abattoir was maintained in a fairly cleanly condition at the time of the inspection.
I therefore recommend:
1. That the local board of health of the town of Poughkeepsie require the proper authorities to take action to relieve the swampy and objectionable conditions created by construction of a railroad embankment across a natural drainage course in the town of Poughkeepsie near the abattoir of the Knauss Brothers either by the construction of a culvert under the railroad at the proper point or by some other satisfactory method.
2. that Knauss Brothers take immediate steps to discontinue discharge of untreated wastes from their plant and employ a competent engineer to prepare plans for the treatment and disposal of wastes from their abattoir in the town of Poughkeepsie, and that the plans when completed be submitted to this department for approval, together with an application for a permit in accordance with the provisions of Article V of the Public Health Law.
I further recommend that copies of this report be sent to the local board of health of the town of Poughkeepsie, to the sanitary supervisor of the district, to Knauss Brothers, and to the Superintendent of the Hudson River State Hospital.
Respectfully submitted,
THEODORE HORTON, Chief Engineer
Albany N.Y. November 12, 1920
Copies of this report were sent on November 15, 1920 to the local board of health, to the sanitary supervisor, to the complainant, and to Knauss Brothers. On November 30, a communication was received from Knauss Brothers in which it was stated that an engineer had been employed to prepare plans for the treatment and disposal of wastes from the abattoir and that steps had been taken to drain the swamp.
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