NEWS RELEASE

Issued jointly by the
Department of Health and Human Services – Division of Public Health

The state has issued a health alert for toxic blue-green algae at Lone Star Lake in Fillmore County. This is the first health alert issued in the 2013 recreational season. Weekly sampling has been conducted at 50 public lakes in Nebraska since the beginning of May.

The state has ended a health alert for toxic blue-green algae at Lone Star Lake in Fillmore County. With the end of this alert, there are currently no health alerts remaining in effect in Nebraska.

Nebraska's 2013 Ambient Air Monitoring Network Plan is available for public comment. The Network Plan was developed to comply with new Federal regulation 40 CFR Part 58.10.

The Network Plan describes the existing ambient air monitoring network in Nebraska and sets forth planned changes through 2014. It also contains information relative to network operations and planning. During the 30-day public comment period, written comments regarding this Network Plan may be submitted to the Nebraska Department of Environmental Quality (NDEQ) at the mail or email addresses below.

Nebraska Department of Environmental Quality Director Mike Linder today announced the awarding of $1,366,514 in grants for waste reduction and recycling projects. The grants are available through the Waste Reduction and Recycling Incentive Grant Fund. This fund is generated by a fee on solid waste disposed of in landfills (disposal fee), an annual retail business sales fee (business fee), and a fee assessed on the sale of new tires for motor vehicles (tire fee). Tire fee grants totaling $1.93 million for projects related to tire recycling were previously announced in June.

June 25, 2013 -- The Nebraska Department of Environmental Quality is announcing that it has issued construction and operating permits for two proposed hog confinement operations in Butler County. The operations are for Danbred Performance Research Center and Hough Nursery in Butler County. Both proposals received extensive public comment.

The state has issued a health alert for toxic blue-green algae at Swan Creek Lake 5A in Saline County. This is the only health alert currently in effect.

The artwork of 13 Nebraska students will be featured in the 2014 “Nebraska: Don’t Waste It!” environmental calendar. The statewide contest is sponsored by the Nebraska Department of Environmental Quality (NDEQ) and focuses on the importance of waste reduction, recycling and litter cleanup.

The state has issued a health alert for toxic blue-green algae at the Martin Bay area of Lake McConaughy. This is the only health alert currently in effect, and it only affects the Martin Bay portion of Lake McConaughy.

Sept. 5, 2013 -- NDEQ has cancelled a hearing that had been tentatively scheduled for September 9, 2013 related to proposed amendments to the Nebraska State Implementation Plan filed with the Environmental Protection Agency. The proposed amendments would incorporate revised regulations of the Lincoln-Lancaster County Air Pollution Control Program Regulations and Standards which were adopted in June, 2012.