The third annual Midwest Environmental Compliance Conference (MECC) will be held May 11-13, 2016, in Kansas City. This multi-media event is designed for those charged with managing environmental permitting, compliance and other policy issues.

The Nebraska Department of Environmental Quality (NDEQ) will be sending several key speakers to the event and will also host an NDEQ breakout session on May 12. For more information, visit the MECC website at www.mecconference.com.

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.

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.
 

The Heritage Hazardous Waste Site Review Committee, assigned to review and report on a hazardous waste management facility proposed by Heritage Disposal and Storage, has announced two upcoming meetings, to be held June 21 and June 23 in Alda.

July 11, 2016 – The Nebraska Department of Environmental Quality’s draft Regional Haze Five-Year Progress Report is now available for public review and comment.

The Regional Haze Progress Report describes the visibility impact on Class I areas (national parks and wilderness areas) from sources in Nebraska. The Regional Haze Rule requires progress reports at five-year intervals following submission of a Regional Haze State Implementation Plan (SIP).

The Heritage Hazardous Waste Site Review Committee, assigned to review and report on a hazardous waste management facility proposed by Heritage Disposal and Storage, has announced their fifth meeting will be held at 4 p.m. July 19 at the Alda Community Center. The Committee will examine issues related to the economics of the proposal as well as applicable regulatory programs. The meeting is open to the public.

July 29, 2016 -- The Department of Environmental Quality has issued the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) Industrial Stormwater General Permit (ISW-GP) NER910000. The permit became effective July 18, 2016 and expires June 30, 2021. The deadline to renew coverage is January 1, 2017.

The Heritage Hazardous Waste Site Review Committee, assigned to review and report on a hazardous waste management facility proposed by Heritage Disposal and Storage, has announced their sixth meeting will be held at 4 p.m. Aug. 23 at the Grand Island Public Library, 211 N. Washington St. The Committee will discuss major issues, concerns and conclusions related to the Heritage proposal. The meeting is open to the public.