Historic East Bay company C&H Sugar settled a lawsuit last week with Contra Costa Country for generating excessive sewage odors in Crockett, according to a news release from the Contra Costa County District Attorney’s Office. The company agree to pay $400,000 in civil penalties and $100,000 in reimbursement costs.
C&H Sugar’s plant has been a fixture of Crockett since 1906, earning the unincorporated city the nickname of the Bay Area’s “Sugar Town.” In 2023, Crockett residents filed a class action suit against C&H for releasing noxious odors from its wastewater treatment plant onto their properties. In the complaint, one neighbor reported that she was “not able to keep windows or doors open for air flow” and that “the smell doesn’t allow for outdoor activities without nausea.” She described the smell as “rotten egg or sulfur.” The issue was exacerbated by high temperatures in Crockett at the time, according to the DA’s office.
An investigation by the Bay Area Air District found that C&H Sugar committed various emissions violations between Sept. 8 and Oct. 14, 2022. The case was then referred to the DA’s office for enforcement action. In addition to the financial penalties, C&H Sugar also agreed to purchase and install a backup generator for the wasterwater treatment plant, upgrade the facility’s blowers, establish a 24-hour community hotline and other compliance measures…