On April 8, 2016, the Nebraska Department of Environmental Quality (NDEQ) received a Notice of Intent from Heritage Disposal and Storage to locate a hazardous waste incinerator at their current property located at 345 So. 80th Road, Alda. The site is on the former Cornhusker Army Ammunition Plant property west of Grand Island. Heritage intends to install the incinerator to dispose of Department of Defense smoke grenades and related materials.

Nebraska Department of Environmental Quality Director Jim Macy announced today that the state is awarding $2.08 million to support 128 tire recycling and cleanup projects across the state.

"The agency received many outstanding applications from across the state,” Macy said. “These funds will provide needed support to local efforts which effectively deal with scrap tires in Nebraska.”

Photos here and video here.
 

The newly-formed Site Review Committee, assigned to review and report on a hazardous waste management facility proposed by Heritage Disposal and Storage, has announced their second meeting will be held at 4:00 p.m. May 24th at the Alda Community Center. The meeting is open to the public.

May 25, 2016 -- NDEQ plans to conduct an information session in Grand Island on June 1 to discuss livestock regulations with producers and those interested in building poultry barns. NDEQ will also discuss air regulations for those considering incinerators, and stormwater construction permitting.

The session will be held 9 a.m. June 1, 2016 at the Central Platte NRD office, 215 Kaufman Avenue, Grand Island.

On May 2, the state began its weekly monitoring of toxic blue-green algae and bacteria at 50 public lakes in Nebraska. Sampling will continue weekly through September.

To date, there have not been any health alerts issued for toxic blue-green algae, because no lakes exceeded the state’s health alert threshold of 20 parts per billion (ppb) of total microcystin (a toxin released by certain strains of blue-green algae.) Lakes that are placed on health alert must have two consecutive weeks of readings below the threshold before the alert is discontinued.

Nebraska Department of Environmental Quality Director Jim Macy today announced the awarding of $3,454,825 in grants through the Waste Reduction and Recycling Incentive Grant Fund.

The state has issued a health alert for toxic blue-green algae at Pawnee Lake in Lancaster County. This is the first health alert issued in the 2016 recreational season. Weekly sampling has been conducted at 50 public lakes in Nebraska since the beginning of May.

June 6, 2016 -- NDEQ plans to conduct an information session in Columbus on June 16 to discuss livestock regulations with producers interested in building swine barns. The information session will be a roundtable type discussion focusing primarily on the permitting process; however, producers will have the opportunity to ask any questions pertaining to swine animal feeding operations.

The session will be held 9 a.m. June 16, 2016 at the Columbus City Council Chambers, 1369 25th Avenue, Columbus.

June 8, 2016 -- The Nebraska Department of Environmental Quality (NDEQ) proposes issuance of a new General Permit under the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System for Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations (CAFOs) to prevent discharges to surface waters. CAFOs within the State of Nebraska that confine only cattle, either in open lots or under roof, are eligible for coverage.
 

The Public Notice period will run from June 8, 2016 through July 11, 2016.