Recently, it made national news that waste from the AltEn ethanol plant near Mead, Nebraska, has been severely affecting the health of nearby residents, animals, and bee populations. Mead residents have been raising concerns since the plant opened two years ago. Over a dozen citations have been given to AltEn for non-compliance, but the issues being cited have yet to be fixed and no fines have been levied. The state gave AltEn a deadline of March 1, 2021 to remove this treated seed from their property. However, as of today no physical progress seems to have been made.

We are sharing this call to action from residents of Mead: Please contact Governor Pete Ricketts and Nebraska’s Department of Environment and Energy, and ask that the NDEE levy applicable fines and enforce the March 1st deadline for removal of the waste and repair of the lagoons.

Contact Information for Governor Ricketts

Contact Information for NDEE

When calling the provided phone numbers, please let them know you’re calling about the AltEn ethanol plant, so they can direct your call.

Talking points:

  • Residents in the community of Mead have been complaining to the Nebraska Dept. of Environment and Energy (NDEE) about the AltEn plant for over 2 years.

  • Over a dozen citations have been given to AltEn for non-compliance, but they have not been fixed and no fines have been levied. 

  • The deadline of March 1 to clean up the piles of waste and fix the lagoons is fast approaching and no visible progress has been made.  

  • There is concern about how AltEn will dispose of the waste, and that it may just be moved elsewhere causing further problems. How will NDEE monitor this disposal?

  • (Question specifically for Governor Ricketts’ office) How does the Governor intend to hold his teammates in the NDEE accountable for the protection of the air, land and water in Mead and to avoid giving AltEn another extension?  

Additional points:

  • Mead has become a dumping ground for treated seed corn from all across North America.  Nebraska does not need this kind of waste near our waterways and over our aquifer.
  • Legislation is pending to prohibit future plants from using treated seed corn in this manner, but will not ensure NDEE enforces the violations of this plant by March 1. That is the Governor’s responsibility.