LINCOLN, Neb. — The Nebraska Department of Environment and Energy (NDEE) has sent invitations to schools across the state, seeking student entries for the 2025 “Nebraska: Don’t Waste It!” environmental calendar. The contest is open to all Nebraska students from grades K through 12, and the submission deadline is May 1, 2024.

Nearly 40 years ago, residents of Bhopal, India, experienced what is considered by many to be the worst industrial catastrophe in history – a multi-ton release of methyl isocyanate. The incident became known as the Bhopal disaster.

Along with contributing to thousands of deaths, it is estimated that half a million people were adversely affected by the disaster. The tragedy continues to impact how countries around the world plan and coordinate emergency responses.

The Nebraska Department of Environment and Energy (NDEE), in partnership with the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS), alerts Nebraskans to potential smoke impacts during the spring, when ranchers in the Flint Hills region of Kansas and Oklahoma, and elsewhere throughout the region conduct prescribed burns.

LINCOLN, Neb. — Nebraska Department of Environment and Energy Interim Director Thad Fineran announced on April 18 that the 2023 Nebraska Clean Diesel Program is awarding approximately $599,000 in rebates to 31 farmers across the state to aid in replacing diesel irrigation engines with electric motors.

Nebraska’s 81,000 miles of streams can contain a rich diversity of aquatic life. The Nebraska Department of Environment and Energy (NDEE) monitors the quality of the state’s rivers and streams to determine if these waterbodies provide a healthy environment for aquatic life to thrive.

LINCOLN, Neb. — The Nebraska Department of Environment and Energy (NDEE) has announced the application period for counties, cities, and villages to apply for Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grants (EECBG).

The application period opens March 19 and closes April 30, 2024.

LINCOLN, Neb. — The State of Nebraska has its first-ever Climate Action Plan.

LINCOLN, Neb. — The Nebraska Department of Environment and Energy urges those who requested free nitrate sample kits to sample their drinking water and return the kits to the Public Health Environmental Lab for processing.

Returning the test kit is a proactive way private well owners can learn their wells’ nitrate concentration and can make informed decisions about their drinking water.

LINCOLN, Neb. — The Nebraska Department of Environment and Energy (NDEE) was awarded $1.779 million in Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grants (EECBG) from the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL).

The EECBG funds will support local communities in implementing high-impact, self-sustaining clean energy projects through a competitive subaward grant process. Applications will be open to cities and counties who weren’t eligible for a federal EECBG allocation. NDEE plans to announce the application period in mid-March.

LINCOLN, Neb. — The Nebraska Department of Environment and Energy (NDEE) is inviting proposals for a qualified contractor to administer the Low-Income Weatherization Assistance Program (WAP) in Douglas County. Proposals will be accepted through May 10, 2024. Request for Proposal materials are found on NDEE’s website, https://dee.nebraska.gov/node/2198.