AlrEn crisis
Environmental clean-up set to finish by August 2025
Mead, Neb. is a small city between Lincoln and Omaha with a population of around 600 inhabitants which has been greatly affected by a company that violated multiple environmental policies. AlrEn LLC plant, opened in 2015, used unplanted seeds covered with pesticides to produce ethanol — the harmful material is known as wet cake. According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Nebraska Department of Environmental and Energy (NDEE), wet cake is classified as non-hazardous waste. In February 2021, AlrEn was forced to shut down after being cited for breaching multiple environmental regulations, like a pipeline bursting, resulting in millions of gallons of pesticide contaminants flowing into a steam.
Since AlrEn had stockpiles in open lagoons, runoff was common when there was heavy rain or snow. The runoff and open lagoons have resulted in a decline in bird, mosquito, bee and fish populations. The number of wildlife that has been negatively affected by the company is not completely clear. There are reports of beloved dogs dying and getting sick. People in the area have developed coughs and some have moved away when their children showed adverse health issues. There is a cattle farm for human consumption located right next to AltEn and there is a concern that some of the meat has been contaminated with chemicals from the runoff. Not only are the chemicals negatively affecting the health of living organisms, they also put off a smell.
The cleanup commenced in 2023 and the goal is to finish the project by August 2025. The method of cleaning — situ mixing method — doesn’t work well in cold conditions so the operation will cease from November 2024 to March 2025. Around 100,000 tons of wet cake still remains on the property and so far 47,668 tons of wet cake has been removed from AlrEn. Water purification has also been in the works to improve the environment. Residents of Mead have resorted to using bottled water because of the amount of contamination in the water. 100 million gallons of water have been treated on-site with 38 million gallons being applied to farmland. The state of Nebraska has filed suit against AlrEn with allegations of 18 violations of environmental regulations. Judge Christina Marroquin has demanded a status report by Nov. 18. The report’s due date has been pushed back and more investigation needs to be completed before going to court. Since the case is still open, attorneys are negotiating to reach a settlement. Residents of Mead are skeptical that AlrEn will face any real punishment. They are worried that the company will file for bankruptcy and nothing more will happen.
https://ecmp.nebraska.gov/PublicAccess/index.html?&MyQueryID=340 - 8/23/2024 - RAP - 84069 - DEQ Plan - REMEDIAL ACTION WORK PLAN
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2022/apr/26/pollution-mead-nebraska-pesticide-waste
by Stuart Cuateco