A burst pipe late last week in a 4 million-gallon digester tank at the AltEn Ethanol plant near Mead sent liquid manure and thin stillage, a byproduct of the ethanol manufacturing process, into waterways and culverts up to 4 miles from the plant.
The Saunders County Board of Supervisors scheduled a public meeting concerning the AltEn Ethanol plant for 7 p.m. on March 1.
The meeting will be in the gymnasium at Mead High School.
The Nebraska Department of Environment and Energy has ordered the plant closed, but issues are ongoing.
“The issues are not going to stop just because the plant has stopped producing,” Saunders County Attorney Joe Dobesh said during a board meeting on Feb. 9.
A pipe burst on a 4 million-gallon digester tank late last week, releasing waste material into the waterways and culverts more than 4 miles from the plant, according to the department.
The department said the discharge appears to have stopped, and waste has not reached the Platte River to the southeast. Emergency response staff is on site daily to monitor the situation and cleanup efforts, the department said.
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Mead AltEn Ethanol plant
A burst pipe late last week in a 4 million gallon digester tank at the AltEn Ethanol plant near Mead sent liquid manure and thin stillage, a byproduct of the ethanol manufacturing process, into waterways and culverts up to 4 miles from the plant.
Mead AltEn Ethanol plant
Mead AltEn Ethanol plant. COURTESY PHOTO
Mead AltEn Ethanol plant
A burst pipe late last week in a 4 million gallon digester tank at the AltEn Ethanol plant near Mead sent liquid manure and thin stillage, a byproduct of the ethanol manufacturing process, into waterways and culverts up to 4 miles from the plant.
Mead AltEn Ethanol plant
A burst pipe late last week in a 4 million-gallon digester tank at the AltEn Ethanol plant near Mead sent liquid manure and thin stillage, a byproduct of the ethanol manufacturing process, into waterways and culverts up to 4 miles from the plant.
Mead AltEn Ethanol plant
A burst pipe late last week in a 4 million gallon digester tank at the AltEn Ethanol plant near Mead sent liquid manure and thin stillage, a byproduct of the ethanol manufacturing process, into waterways and culverts up to 4 miles from the plant.
Mead AltEn Ethanol plant
A burst pipe late last week in a 4 million gallon digester tank at the AltEn Ethanol plant near Mead sent liquid manure and thin stillage, a byproduct of the ethanol manufacturing process, into waterways and culverts up to 4 miles from the plant.
Mead AltEn Ethanol plant
A burst pipe late last week in a 4 million gallon digester tank at the AltEn Ethanol plant near Mead sent liquid manure and thin stillage, a byproduct of the ethanol manufacturing process, into waterways and culverts up to 4 miles from the plant.
Mead AltEn Ethanol plant
A burst pipe late last week in a 4 million gallon digester tank at the AltEn Ethanol plant near Mead sent liquid manure and thin stillage, a byproduct of the ethanol manufacturing process, into waterways and culverts up to 4 miles from the plant.
Mead AltEn Ethanol plant
A burst pipe late last week in a 4 million-gallon digester tank at the AltEn Ethanol plant near Mead sent liquid manure and thin stillage, a byproduct of the ethanol manufacturing process, into waterways and culverts up to 4 miles from the plant.
AltEn Ethanol, 2.4
The Department of Environment and Energy ordered AltEn Ethanol near Mead to shut down earlier this month, dispose of millions of gallons of contaminated wastewater on the site and repair lagoons in violation of state regulations.
AltEn Ethanol, 2.4
Unlike other ethanol plants, AltEn used treated seed instead of harvested grain for its fuel production. The byproduct from that process and wastewater near the plant have been found to carry levels of pesticides and fungicides above limits set by the Environmental Protection Agency.
AltEn Ethanol, 2.4
AltEn Ethanol has been the subject of dozens of complaints since it reopened near Mead in 2015 related to an odor coming from the byproduct of its ethanol process, seen here at the beginning of the month. The byproduct has been found to carry levels of pesticides and fungicides above limits set by the Environmental Protection Agency.
AltEn Ethanol, 2.4
AltEn ethanol plant is seen in this photo, Thursday, Feb. 4, 2021.
AltEn Ethanol, 2.4
AltEn shut down its operations on Feb. 8 after an order by the Nebraska Department of Environment and Energy. The state found three lagoons on the site were contaminated, badly damaged and holding more wastewater than permitted.
AltEn Ethanol, 2.4
AltEn is unique among ethanol plants in that it uses seeds pre-treated with pesticides to produce ethanol instead of harvested grain. It ceased operation on Feb. 8 after a state order.
Mead, 2.4
MEAD, NEB. – 02/04/2021 – A view of Mead, including the grain elevators with Frontier Cooperative, Thursday, Feb. 4, 2021. JUSTIN WAN, Journal Star
AltEn Ethanol
Emptied treated seed bags are stacked at the AltEn company in this photo taken in April 2019 during a Nebraska Department of Environment and Energy inspection. The ethanol plant near Mead used the seeds to produce ethanol and the byproduct from the process to create soil conditioner sold to area farmers.
AltEn Ethanol, 2.4
AltEn Ethanol has been the subject of dozens of complaints since it reopened near Mead in 2015 related to an odor coming from the byproduct of its ethanol process. The byproduct has been found to carry levels of pesticides and fungicides above limits set by the Environmental Protection Agency.
Mead AltEn Ethanol plant leak
A pipe burst on a 4 million-gallon digester tank at the AltEn Ethanol plant near Mead late last week, releasing waste material into the waterways and culverts more than 4 miles from the plant, according to the Nebraska Department of Environment and Energy.
Mead AltEn Ethanol plant leak
A notification of environmental concern inspection report from Feb. 12, 2021, noted “flow, dark water and odor,” in water pictured on University of Nebraska-Lincoln property. A pipe burst on a 4 million-gallon digester tank at the AltEn Ethanol plant near Mead late last week, releasing waste material into the waterways and culverts more than 4 miles from the plant, according to the Nebraska Department of Environment and Energy,
Mead AltEn Ethanol plant leak
University of Nebraska-Lincoln personnel using a backhoe to place bales and plastic to dam the culvert on UNL property near Mead after a pipe burst on a 4 million-gallon digester tank at the AltEn Ethanol plant late last week, releasing waste material into the waterways and culverts more than 4 miles from the plant, according to the Nebraska Department of Environment and Energy.
Mead AltEn Ethanol plant leak
A notification of environmental concern inspection report from Feb. 12 noted “flow, dark water and odor,” in water pictured on UNL property after a pipe burst on a 4 million-gallon digester tank at AltEn Ethanol near Mead, releasing waste material into the waterways and culverts more than 4 miles from the plant, according to the Nebraska Department of Environment and Energy.
Mead AltEn Ethanol plant leak
Water pools west of the leaking digester at Mead AltEn Ethanol on Feb. 12 after a pipe burst on a 4 million-gallon digester tank late last week, releasing waste material into the waterways and culverts more than 4 miles from the plant, according to the Nebraska Department of Environment and Energy.
Mead AltEn Ethanol plant leak
A depth finder measures flow from a leak on Feb. 12 after a pipe burst on a 4 million-gallon digester tank at AltEn Ethanol near Mead late last week, releasing waste material into the waterways and culverts more than 4 miles from the plant, according to the Nebraska Department of Environment and Energy.
Mead AltEn Ethanol plant leak
Mead AltEn Ethanol employees use trash pumps to transport water into an emergency lagoon on Feb. 12. A pipe burst on a 4 million-gallon digester tank at the plant late last week, releasing waste material into the waterways and culverts more than 4 miles from the plant, according to the Nebraska Department of Environment and Energy.
Mead AltEn Ethanol plant leak
Mead AltEn Ethanol employees work to install a trash pump to transport water into an emergency lagoon on Feb. 12. A pipe burst on a 4 million-gallon digester tank at the plant late last week, releasing waste material into the waterways and culverts more than 4 miles from the plant, according to the Nebraska Department of Environment and Energy.
Mead AltEn Ethanol plant leak
Water exits the damaged area (blue arrow) of a 4 million-gallon digester tank at AltEn Ethanol near Mead on Feb. 12, releasing waste material into the waterways and culverts more than 4 miles from the plant, according to the Nebraska Department of Environment and Energy.
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