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.

The state has issued health alerts for toxic blue-green algae at Bluestem Lake in Lancaster County, Kirkman’s Cove in Richardson County and Willow Creek Lake in Pierce County. The only other health alert that had been in effect, for the Martin Bay portion of Lake McConaughy, has ended due to low readings for two consecutive weeks.

Annette Kovar, Legal Counsel for the Nebraska Department of Environmental, recently received national recognition from a professional association of distinguished lawyers who practice in the field of environmental law.

The American College of Environmental Lawyers (ACOEL) announced that Kovar was one of 20 environmental lawyers who were elected to be Fellows of the organization for the year 2013.

Sept. 17, 2013 -- The workshop “Nitrates and Your Water System” will be held in Nebraska City on October 29, 2013.

The state has issued a health alert for toxic blue-green algae at Swan Creek 5A Lake in Saline County, and an alert continues at Willow Creek Lake in Pierce County. Health alerts have ended at Bluestem Lake in Lancaster County, and Kirkman’s Cove in Richardson County, because both lakes have had low readings for two consecutive weeks.

Sept. 23, 2013 -- Nearly one quarter of all American households depend on septic systems to treat their wastewater. Proper septic system care and maintenance is vital to protecting public health and preserving valuable water resources. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has developed a SepticSmart web site at www.epa.gov/septicsmart* that provides useful tips to protect your home, health, environment and property values. They have also declared October 23 to 27 to be "SepticSmart Week."

The Nebraska Department of Environmental Quality announced that limited funding is available to replace older school buses with new buses that have certified cleaner burning engines. This funding is made possible by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s State Clean Diesel Grant program.