Why does Macon smell awful on occasion? Here’s your answer

Every now and then when a person walks outside in Macon, the warm Georgia air welcomes them with a scent of rotten eggs.

Driving up Interstate-75, the smell hits passengers and drivers as if they ran into a wall of foul odor as they pass into Bibb County.

Every time a newcomer asks, “What in the world is that awful smell?”

A Maconite will respond passively, “The paper mill.”

The paper mill they are referring to is Graphic Packaging International, one of the largest manufacturers of paperboard and paper-based packaging for popular food, beverage and household brands, according to its website.

The company operates a kraft pulp mill in Macon, and kraft pulping produces a distinctive odor, said Kevin Chambers, the director of communications for the Georgia Environmental Protection Division, in an email.

The chemicals, “total reduced sulfur” or TRS gases, used to pulp wood chips cause the smell, and they can be smelled at very low concentrations, Chambers said.

GPI is issued an air quality permit each year by the Georgia Environmental Protection Division that contains requirements to ensure that the air emissions from the mill do not adversely impact the public’s health, Chamber said.

Although GPI declined to give The Telegraph an interview, they provided a statement about the mill’s operations:

“At Graphic Packaging International, we strive to be a responsible corporate partner in every community where we operate, including at our mill in Macon, Georgia. We are diligent about operating in compliance with environmental regulations and strictly adhering to all environmental permits for safe, healthy operations.”

GPI came to Macon in 2003 as a result of a merger between GPI and Riverwood Holding, Inc., which used to run the Macon mill. GPI has more than 90 facilities and 19,000 employees worldwide, according to its website.