ATTORNEY GENERAL RAOUL SUCCESSFULLY HALTS PULLMAN PLANT OPERATIONS OVER EXCESSIVE ODORS AND ENVIRONMENTAL LAW VIOLATIONS

ATTORNEY GENERAL RAOUL SUCCESSFULLY HALTS PULLMAN PLANT OPERATIONS OVER EXCESSIVE ODORS AND ENVIRONMENTAL LAW VIOLATIONS

October 14, 2026

Chicago - Attorney General Kwame Raoul today secured an order temporarily halting odor-causing operations at the Pullman Innovations plant, located in an area of environmental justice concern on the Southeast Side of Chicago.

Pullman Innovations' Chicago facility converts a by-product of commercial edible oil into animal feed ingredients. In August, Raoul, Mayor Brandon Johnson and the city of Chicago filed a lawsuit against A-F Acquisition LLC, which operates under the name Pullman Innovations, alleging that the company allowed excessive odors, caused illegal air pollution, constructed a boiler without a permit that could cause or contribute to air pollution, and violated certain conditions of the operating permit at its Chicago facility. Today, a Cook County Circuit Court judge granted a request from Raoul and the city for a temporary restraining order stopping odor-causing operations until Jan. 14, 2027, when the next hearing in the case is scheduled, or until the facility addresses the excessive odors and comes into compliance with environmental law before that date.

"Members of the community around the Pullman Innovations facility have carried too heavy a burden of environmental harm for too long, and I am pleased that they will finally have some relief from the foul odors that were interrupting their lives and harming their ability to enjoy their homes and neighborhood activities," Raoul said. "This plant should not operate until it addresses the odors and air pollution and comes into compliance with Illinois' environmental laws. I want to thank the members of this community for their work to inform this litigation. I will continue to protect all Illinois communities and hold companies accountable when they violate our environmental laws."

A hearing is scheduled for Jan. 14 on a motion from Raoul and the city for a preliminary injunction requiring the company to address the odors and its violations of environmental law and its operating permit. Raoul's preliminary injunction motion includes a timeline for Pullman to submit a remediation plan to the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency (IEPA) for approval and, once approved, to carry out the plan. The motion would also seek an order requiring the company to complete installation and start operating a pollution control device called a "regenerative thermal oxidizer" within 120 days, as well as other actions to identify and address odors to prevent future violations, among other requirements.

Numerous residents living near the Pullman facility have reported being forced to keep windows in their homes closed due to the nauseating odors, being unable to enjoy outdoor activities and being chased inside by odors, often interrupting family events. The odors also affect nearby schools and a local church, and parishioners have reported that church events such as weddings, funerals and outdoor festivals are often ruined by the odors. The community has played an important role in supporting the Attorney General's case by tracking and logging odors, providing affidavits for the motion, and keeping the Attorney General's office and the IEPA informed about the odors at the facility.

The city of Chicago has conducted numerous inspections in response to complaints, and city inspectors have also encountered odors that made breathing difficult and caused nausea. The IEPA inspected the site in February 2025. IEPA inspectors observed extremely strong odors both inside and outside the buildings at the facility, which, at times, made breathing difficult for the inspectors. In August 2026, an IEPA inspector again observed exceedingly overpowering odors in residential areas around the facility.

The lawsuit against Pullman is based on a referral from the IEPA.

The Attorney General's office enforces Illinois' environmental protection laws. Attorney General Raoul's Environmental Enforcement Division, which enforces civil environmental laws, has recovered millions of dollars from polluters and required companies to undertake environmental improvement projects in communities impacted by pollution. Raoul encourages residents to report environmental justice and other environmental concerns to his office by emailing [email protected].

Assistant Attorneys General Justin Bertsche, Rebecca Kanz, Caitlin Kelly and Taylor Desgrosseilliers are handling the case for Raoul's Environmental Bureau.