The sound of trucks moving waste away from the former AltEn LLC ethanol plant in Mead, Nebraska, 40 miles north of Lincoln signal hope for residents of the village of 569 people.
Gone is the company's sign that once greeted visitors to the plant from the highway.
Gone is the burning odor that once wafted from standing piles of rotting wet distillers grains and the stench of pesticides-laden water from lagoons on the property -- recent air-test results bear that out.
Seed companies that sent pesticide-coated seeds to the plant say they are in the cleanup for the long haul. Those companies formed a coalition to clean up the site -- including AgReliant, Bayer, Beck's, Corteva, Syngenta and WinField.
No one knows for sure how long the cleanup will take.
"As far as cleanup, I will say most people think that it is taking too long," Mead Mayor William Thorson told DTN.
"But this is a difficult process and the people and companies involved in the cleanup are working hard on making sure it is done right and safe as to not cause another problem. As for the seed companies' relationship with the village, I feel they are listening to our wants and concerns."
PLANT SHUT DOWN IN 2021
The AltEn plant ran into a series of environmental problems and was shut down by the state in spring 2021.
The plant stored on site corn seeds treated with neonicotinoid insecticides and fungicides. AltEn did not dispose of the pesticide-contaminated distillers grains and wastewater properly.
The University of Nebraska Medical Center is undertaking a project to monitor possible health effects caused by environmental contamination.
The seed companies hired an Atlanta-based engineering firm NewFields to plan and execute the removal of waste materials from the plant.
CLEANUP PLANS
NewFields is studying the feasibility of moving to a landfill 115,000 tons of wet cake still covering and consolidated on about 16 acres of ground at the northwest corner of the ethanol plant property.
The sound of trucks moving waste away from the former AltEn LLC ethanol plant in Mead, Nebraska, 40 miles north of Lincoln signal hope for residents of the village of 569 people.
Gone is the company's sign that once greeted visitors to the plant from the highway.
Gone is the burning odor that once wafted from standing piles of rotting wet distillers grains and the stench of pesticides-laden water from lagoons on the property -- recent air-test results bear that out.
Seed companies that sent pesticide-coated seeds to the plant say they are in the cleanup for the long haul. Those companies formed a coalition to clean up the site -- including AgReliant, Bayer, Beck's, Corteva, Syngenta and WinField.
No one knows for sure how long the cleanup will take.
"As far as cleanup, I will say most people think that it is taking too long," Mead Mayor William Thorson told DTN.
"But this is a difficult process and the people and companies involved in the cleanup are working hard on making sure it is done right and safe as to not cause another problem. As for the seed companies' relationship with the village, I feel they are listening to our wants and concerns."
PLANT SHUT DOWN IN 2021
The AltEn plant ran into a series of environmental problems and was shut down by the state in spring 2021.
The plant stored on site corn seeds treated with neonicotinoid insecticides and fungicides. AltEn did not dispose of the pesticide-contaminated distillers grains and wastewater properly.
The University of Nebraska Medical Center is undertaking a project to monitor possible health effects caused by environmental contamination.
The seed companies hired an Atlanta-based engineering firm NewFields to plan and execute the removal of waste materials from the plant.
CLEANUP PLANS
NewFields is studying the feasibility of moving to a landfill 115,000 tons of wet cake still covering and consolidated on about 16 acres of ground at the northwest corner of the ethanol plant property.
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That work includes putting together a pilot program to determine whether the material can be safely moved to landfills.
In addition, the company plans to install a new water-filtration system onsite to support the ongoing treatment of lagoon water at the plant.
Engineers already have treated about 49 million gallons of lagoon water laden with pesticides and the water has been land applied on ag ground within a 3-mile radius of the plant.
This week workers are removing wooden pallets, geotextile and lagoon liner materials left behind on site, hauling the materials to a landfill in Bennington, Nebraska, during the next couple of months.
"As far as their timeline -- it's unknown but they are moving as fast as possible and they have told us they are here until it's done," Thorson said.
Source: dtnpf.com
Photo Credit: pexels-sharath-g
Categories: Nebraska, General