The state has issued a health alert for toxic blue-green algae at Swan Creek Lake 5A near Tobias. Alerts continue for Willow Creek Lake near Pierce and Red Willow Reservoir near McCook.

The state has issued a health alert for toxic blue-green algae at Merritt Reservoir in Cherry County and Kirkman’s Cove near Humboldt. Alerts continue for Swan Creek Lake 5A near Tobias, Willow Creek Lake near Pierce and Red Willow Reservoir near McCook.

Health alerts for toxic blue-green algae continue to be in effect at Merritt Reservoir in Cherry County, Kirkman’s Cove near Humboldt, and Willow Creek Lake near Pierce. Alerts have ended at Swan Creek Lake 5A near Tobias, and Red Willow Reservoir near McCook.

The Nebraska Department of Environmental Quality is proposing a Permit-by-Rule provision for pesticides as a new chapter in Title 119 -- Rules And Regulations Pertaining To The Issuance Of Permits Under The National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System. The proposed changes to Title 119 are currently in draft form and will be presented to the Environmental Quality Council at their quarterly meeting scheduled December 1 and 2, 2010.

Nebraska Department of Environmental Quality Director Jim Macy has announced the awarding of $2,491,087 in 57 grants for litter cleanup, recycling, and public education programs and activities. Funds for the Litter Reduction and Recycling Grant Program are generated from a fee charged to certain manufacturers, wholesalers, and retailers of products that commonly contribute to litter. The program has been providing grants annually since 1979.

February 1, 2011 is the deadline to apply for 2011 Waste Reduction and Recycling Incentive Grants. Four meetings have been set to inform the public about new application forms, electronic submittal of applications, and the new scoring system used to rank applications. Private entities, non-profit organizations, and political subdivisions can apply for waste reduction grants.

Locations, dates and times of the meetings are:

Lincoln -- November 30, 2010, 9:00 a.m. – 11:00 a.m. at the WasteCap Nebraska Office, 285 S. 68th St. Place, Suite 540

Nebraska Extension, the Nebraska Department of Environmental Quality, and Game and Parks again have partnered to offer a series of pond and lake management introductory workshops. These workshops are free and open to everyone who makes decisions for and about lakes and ponds or anyone who wants to learn more about protecting them. All 2017 workshops are focused on sandpit lakes.

There is no cost to attend these workshops, but reservations are required. The workshops will be held from 6-8 p.m. as follows:

Nebraska's 2010 Ambient Air Monitoring Network Plan and 5 Year Assessment is available for public inspection. The Network Plan was developed to comply with new Federal regulation 40 CFR Part 58.10.

On January 17, 2017, EPA authorized NDEQ to administer the RCRA (hazardous waste) Corrective Action Program. Until now, final decisions concerning site-wide cleanup were the responsibility of EPA; now NDEQ has been given this final decision-making authority. Waste Management Section Supervisor Bill Gidley said that the program is fully prepared to assume these additional responsibilities, and that the changes will be beneficial for the agency, EPA, and those regulated under the RCRA program.

The Nebraska Department of Environmental Quality will be coordinating the annual meeting of the Nebraska Small Business Compliance Advisory Panel. The meeting is scheduled for Thursday, March 2, 2017 at 9:00 a.m., in Room 424 of the NDEQ office at 1200 N Street, Lincoln. For additional information, please see the meeting agenda below, or contact Ryan Green, NDEQ Small Business and Public Assistance Coordinator, at 402-471-8697.