Residents in Albert City have been dealing with a strong odor for more than a month as AgState Cooperative continues working to resolve a grain smolder inside one of its large concrete silos.
The issue began Nov. 7, when employees discovered a hot spot in a bin holding about 800,000 bushels of corn. The smolder is believed to have started after a fan malfunction. Since then, AgState has been working with two specialized contractors—Ambipar Response and Gregerson Salvage—to safely cool and remove the grain.
As of this week, less than 300,000 bushels remain in the silo.
The process has been slowed by winter weather and the sheer size of the structure, but AgState expects the bin to be emptied within two weeks.
AgState CEO Troy Upah says safety is the company’s top priority. Crews have been pumping nitrogen into the bin to cool the grain and reduce the risk of fire. In colder temperatures, the process produces visible steam from the top of the silo.
Upah apologized to the community for the odor and asked for continued patience. He emphasized there is no danger to the public, but urged residents to avoid the site due to heavy truck traffic.
In a letter to Albert City officials earlier this month, Upah and AgState Chief Operations Officer Marc Mears said the company remains in close contact with Fire Chief Luke Ehlers and Mayor Dale Skog. They stressed the focus is on resolving the smolder “safely and as quickly as conditions allow.”
