Watch the Monday, April 12 Mead Town Hall live on Facebook.
John --
Have you heard about the situation in Mead, Nebraska?
The AltEn ethanol plant, and the state of Nebraska's lack of proper regulation and oversight, have led to a large-scale pollution of the surrounding community, and a potential new EPA "Superfund" contamination site that could take years to clean up.
Unlike most ethanol plants, AltEn was using treated corn and other seed, coated with fungicides and insecticides, including harmful bee-killing neonicotinoids.
AltEn's process produces a pesticide-laden mash of lime-green fermented grains the company has been selling locally as a "soil conditioner" -- which researchers have said is toxic, is polluting soil and water around Mead, and is posing a health threat to humans and animals.
Following years of complaints from locals, and some more recent digging by journalists, the state of Nebraska has finally taken notice after neglecting to regulate or provide proper oversight of AltEn, and has filed a lawsuit and ordered the plant shut down.
We still don't have the full answers on local health impacts to humans and animals from AltEn's products.
If the AltEn ethanol plant and adjacent cattle feedlot declare bankruptcy or are sold, will state or federal regulators step in and force these polluters to pay to clean up their toxic mess?
All of the above topics will be discussed by the panel on next Monday's town hall in Mead, organized by local concerned citizens, and environmental, landowner, and ag groups:
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WHAT: Town Hall Meeting in Mead, Nebraska (In-Person & Online Video)
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TOPIC: AltEn ethanol plant and community concerns re: ongoing contamination, cleanup, health & environmental impacts
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WHEN: Monday, April 12, 7:00 p.m. CT
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WHERE: Mead Covenant Church*
1540 County Rd 10, Mead, NE 68041
*We are asking all in-person attendees to wear a mask and practice social distancing inside the church during the town hall event, which is open to the public.
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VIEW TOWN HALL + Q&A ONLINE:
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WHO:
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Former Nebraska State Senator Al Davis (Moderator)
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Jody Weible: Local Mead resident within a mile of the AltEn plant, who has experienced health issues, and petitioned state and federal regulators to investigate AltEn pollution; also a former 24-year member of the Mead City Planning Commission.
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Paula A. Dyas: Lives just north of Mead, and is a Senior Scientist at Merck Animal Health; solicited a sample of AltEn's soil conditioner for testing after her dogs became violently ill after consuming it.
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Leesa Zalesky: Lives near Wahoo, NE, and is a retired investigative journalist and author with 25 years of experience covering the agricultural industry.
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Janece Molhoff: Resident of Ashland and former City Council member who initiated a wellhead protection program. Previously completed a water quality study for League of Women Voters that identified gaps in safeguards for Nebraska water.
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Dr. Judy Wu-Smart: Assistant Professor of Entomology, University of Nebraska; manager of UNL Bee Lab at the Eastern Nebraska Research and Extension Center near Mead, where every hive deployed since 2017 has collapsed -- a total of 36 hives, each containing 40,000-60,000 bees.
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Dr. John Schalles: Professor of Biology at Creighton University, who uses remote sensing and geospatial analyses to assess water quality and the health of inland and coastal waters and wetland ecosystems, and teaches courses in aquatic science, remote sensing, toxicology, and zoology.
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Dave Domina: Attorney with Domina Law Group, who has represented Nebraskans, landowners, and cattlemen in matters including class action lawsuits, product liability, wrongful death and serious injury, and a wide variety of complex commercial cases.
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PARTICIPATE IN Q&A: If you are not able to attend in person and have a question for the panelists, you may type them into the Facebook comments during the live video, or else email them to [email protected].
Mead Town Hall Local Sponsors:
Concerned Citizens of Mead
Nebraska Sierra Club
Bold Nebraska
Nebraska Conservation Voters
League of Women Voters of Nebraska
Nebraska Wildlife Federation
Wachiska Audubon
GC Resolve
Nebraska Communities United
Nebraska Farmers Union
Nebraska Interfaith Power & Light
Independent Cattlemen of Nebraska
Nebraska State Grange
Thanks for standing with us.
Mark and the Bold team
P.S. Chip in to support Bold Nebraska's work.
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Bold Nebraska
P.O. Box 254
Hastings, NE 68902 US
