(RES), which was formed in 2000. It was a joint venture between ConAgra Foods and CWT to develop the processing of agricultural waste and low-value streams throughout the world. RES, now wholly owned by CWT, has the "first commercial biorefinery in the world that can make oil from a variety of waste streams, principally waste from the nearby ConAgra Butterball turkey processing plant in Carthage, Missouri. According to Biomass magazine, "CWT's thermal conversion process is a commercially viable method of reforming organic waste that converts approximately 250 tons of turkey offal and fats per day into approximately 500 barrels of renewable diesel.". With recent modifications and upgrades the RES plant can now process up to 300 tons per day of waste, producing 15 million gallons per year of RDO. The plant in Carthage, Missouri, opened in May 2004. Almost immediately local residents started to complain about a foul odor. In December 2005, Missouri Governor Matt Blunt ordered the plant shut down. The company installed odor mitigation equipment and reopened the plant 3 months later. The plant was closed in March 2009 as the result of bankruptcy. In March 2011 the company indicated that it had gathered the financing to reopen the plant and that it planned to accept used fryer oil as feedstock. In 2007, two residents filed a lawsuit against Renewable Environmental Solutions because they say they suffered due to odors from the operation. They also filed to expand the suit to a class action. A judge denied class action status on March 9, 2011. As of February 2012, the Carthage plant is operational. Per the Carthage Press, incoming City Councilman Don Mclaughlin said that he hoped to be able to address what he says are odors still emanating from the Renewable Environmental Solutions plant, which started operating last year using new sources of material other than turkey offal to make fuel oil. In December 2012, Brian Appel resigned as CEO to continue developing other applications for his technology company. Also in December 2012, engineer Dennis M. Danzik was hired by bank and investment holders of CWT to evaluate the Carthage plant. By early January 2013 Danzik had terminated most of the West Hempstead management. In April 2013, CWT was acquired by a Canadian firm, Ridgeline Energy Services, based in Calgary, Alberta. See also Biodiesel production References Discover magazine has published four articles about CWT and its technology: May