WFAA-TV

DALLAS - Homeowners in a Dallas neighborhood say something rotten has been floating their way for decades and have demanded action from the city.

"Rotting corpse, that's all I can say," said Alice Jimenez of the invisible, but odorous neighbor. "It just smells like a rotting dead corpse."

The chronic odor is something some have attributed to the Darling International Rendering Plant nearby, which processes meat byproducts and restaurant grease.

Jimenez has lived in the southeast Dallas neighborhood for more than 40 years.

"It gets into your nostrils, into your lungs and you just can't breathe," she said.

And she isn't the only neighbor of the plant with the same complaint.

"... We'll have parties out here and the smell will be so bad that everyone will just leave," said Michael Velo.

The city's environmental committee addressed the neighborhood complaints Monday and found the plant out of compliance with city odor ordinances. The city has demanded Darling develop an odor control plan. However, the plant has been located in the same spot since 1986, and has always been listed as in full compliance with all federal and state laws.

"Darling does not believe that it is the source of the odor ... and to date has not received any notice of violations related to odor." the company said in a statement.

But customers and cooks at Kiest Market, which is located several blocks away, have similar concerns about the odor and its origin.

"Some mornings it really bothers me because I have allergies and stuff like that," said Angela Pickens.

None of the neighbors' health concerns or complaints have been tied to the Darling Plant.

City inspectors have visited the plant twelve times in the past five years and this is the first notice of a violation.