It has been 17 months since RES was closed, and Carthage has (coincidentally) been "stink-free" since then. Recently there has been some activity regarding RES's desire to re-start the plant. Here are links to recent newspaper articles, describing Changing World's intentions.
RES in Carthage working to resume operations, The mayor cited two meetings in the last week, one with plant officials and another with plant officials and potential investors who are considering backing a plant start-up. He said officials are working to line up financing and are offering no time line on when the plant might resume operation. He said company officials say the plant will process waste oil and grease, but will not rule out the eventual proceesing of animal by-products."They said it will be an odor-free operation," he said. “I told them I’m from Missouri, and they’ll have to show me.” Company officials “were very open with me” in the discussions which Harris said left him “cynical, but hopeful. “I’d like to see them re-open, with an odor-free operation, because Carthage needs the jobs,” he said. “But I told them if there was an odor problem, I’d do everything in my power to shut then down.”
Joplin Globe, July 28, 2010
City Manager: RES may reopen, Jim Crum, RES Plant manager told the City that they planned to use grease and old fry oil as the feedstock for the plant instead of the turkey offal and feathers that were used when the plant operated in the past. Mr Crum said the plant may reopen sometime in the next six months and they could operate odor-free.
Carthage Press, April 14, 2010
