A West Wyoming manufacturing plant, KB Crash Creations, was fined $4,200 on Tuesday after the company pleaded no contest to 14 quality-of-life nuisance violations. The fines are the result of a year-long dispute between the facility and local residents over a powerful, lingering odor emitted by the plant.
Neighbors have described the scent as an overwhelming citrus smell, frequently comparing it to industrial orange cleaning spray. Residents living immediately adjacent to the plant report smelling it daily, and the reach of the odor has extended as far as seven blocks away into Exeter, where local business owners say the scent is impacting their operations.
The facility specializes in the production of kratom extracts. Kratom is an organic compound derived from a tropical tree that can produce psychoactive effects. While kratom remains legal to sell and possess in Pennsylvania, it is a subject of ongoing national debate and has been banned in six other states due to various health and safety concerns.
