LINCOLN – The Nebraska Department of Environment and Energy (NDEE) confirmed that AltEn, LLC near Mead, Nebraska, completed its shut down at 4 p.m. on Monday, Feb. 8, 2021.

While the facility has halted its ethanol production, it is running a steam boiler to prevent its system from freezing and causing uncontrolled discharges. Nearby residents may see a heat plume from the facility’s stack as this boiler is running.

The Nebraska Department of Environment and Energy (NDEE) responded to a discharge at the AltEn ethanol facility near Mead on Friday, Feb. 12.

NDEE staff were on site Friday and throughout the weekend to monitor and assess the discharge. The agency observed spill material in culverts up to four and a half miles southeast of the initial spill site. As of Feb. 16, the discharge is not migrating further and has not reached the Platte River. AltEn has constructed a dam south of the Highway 66 and Road 7 junction to prevent further migration.

Mead area residents will see machinery and mitigation work starting today, Feb. 18, regarding a discharge at the AltEn ethanol facility.

The Nebraska Department of Environment and Energy has received AltEn’s response to a letter of non-compliance, which includes the facility’s cleanup plans for the Feb. 12 discharge.

NDEE Director Jim Macy said it has been a constructive week for the agency in investigating and responding to the discharge.

The Nebraska Department of Environment and Energy Director Jim Macy issued an Emergency Order and Complaint requiring immediate action on the discharge that took place Feb. 12 at the AltEn ethanol facility in Mead.

Macy issued the order and complaint on Saturday, Feb. 20. It follows a Feb. 17 letter of non-compliance, in which the agency instructed AltEn to take mitigation and cleanup efforts on the discharge.

The state has issued a health alert for Harmful Algal Blooms (HAB), also known as toxic blue-green algae, at Glenn Cunningham Lake in Douglas County and Iron Horse Trail Lake in Pawnee County.

Swanson Reservoir in Hitchcock County remains on health alert after being on alert last week.

Samples taken earlier this week at these lakes measured above the threshold of 8 parts per billion (ppb) of total microcystin, which is a toxin released by certain strains of blue-green algae.

The Nebraska Department of Environment and Energy has conducted additional sampling in the Mead area to gain additional background on the AltEn ethanol facility, and to remain vigilant regarding potential environmental impacts the facility has had on the area.

This sampling effort includes six public water supply wells, four private wells and one soil sample.

Drinking water well sampling

To provide a resource for the public and enhance transparency, the Nebraska Department of Environment and Energy has created a new webpage for updates related to cleanup and mitigation efforts at the AltEn ethanol facility.

To access this information, visit https://dee.nebraska.gov/information-and-updates-alten-near-mead-nebraska or go to https://dee.nebraska.gov and click the link under the header “Information and Updates for AltEn near Mead, Nebraska.”

The Nebraska Department of Environment and Energy will present Proposed Changes to Nebraska Administrative Code Title 129 Nebraska Air Quality Regulationswebinar on Thursday, April 8, at 1 p.m. This free webinar is intended for the regulated community and stakeholders, and is open to the general public.

WHAT: Proposed Changes to Title 129
WHEN: Thursday, April 8, 2021 at 1 p.m.
WHO: Ryan Green, Permit Writer, Operating Permit Section, and Tracy Wharton, Program Specialist, Legal Division

The Nebraska Department of Environment and Energy will present Public Hearing for Nebraska Water Quality Standards Triennial Review webinar on Thursday, April 29, at 10 a.m. This hearing is intended for the regulated community and stakeholders, and is open to the general public through remote or in-person attendance.

WHAT: Public Hearing for Title 117 Nebraska Water Quality Standards Triennial Review
WHEN: April 29 at 10 am
WHERE: 245 Fallbrook Blvd. Lincoln, NE, Lower Level, Hearing Room 031 or online via WebEx

The Nebraska Department of Environment and Energy will present a Source Water Grants Webinar on Wednesday, May 5, 2021, at 11 a.m. This seminar is for any Nebraska water operator, city representative, contractor, community organizer or NRD member, as well as the general public. It will provide beneficial information for environmental professionals and others involved in water quality management.