Media Resources
Background
- In 2021, the Nebraska Department of Environment and Energy (NDEE) sought assistance for environmental issues caused by AltEn’s mishandled materials at its facility and its lack of compliance with federal and state environmental regulations.
- The AltEn Facility Response Group (FRG) formed to stabilize the site and develop a Remedial Action Plan (RAP) for the solids and water waste left at the AltEn site.
- FRG comprises former AltEn customers with agreements to supply AltEn seed for ethanol production: AgReliant, Bayer, Beck’s, Corteva Agriscience, WinField United and Syngenta.
- AltEn is not a member and is not participating in voluntary measures of the FRG.
- NewFields retained as FRG’s technical consultant and project manager.
Terminology
- What is wet cake? AltEn produced ethanol from coated seed corn. Wet cake is the byproduct of the ethanol production process.
- Wet cake is not classified as a hazardous or toxic waste. It is classified as non-hazardous waste because it does not meet the criteria outlined by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Nebraska Department of Environment and Energy (NDEE) to be considered a hazardous waste. Classification is important because it determines how and where wet cake is managed and disposed.
- • The FRG and WM have determined that a landfill is the best, most environmentally secure destination to safely dispose of wet cake. Wet cake is accepted at landfills across the country. This includes WM’s Pheasant Point Landfill, which can only accept non-hazardous waste for disposal.
- What is a Remedial Action Plan (RAP)? A RAP is a comprehensive document that describes an investigation and plan for cleaning up sites enrolled in the Nebraska Voluntary Cleanup Program. RAPs must conform to Nebraska Voluntary Cleanup guidance
Wet Cake Solidification and Transportation Continues
NewFields Senior Engineer Bill Butler provides an update about important activities at the AltEn site. The Wet Cake Pilot Project has resumed, with trucks carrying solidified, non-hazardous wet cake to be safely disposed at a nearby landfill. In addition, water continues to be pumped from the site’s lagoons and treated for land application, among other activities. Stay tuned throughout the summer for more updates.
Steps the FRG and NDEE have taken to stabilize the site:
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Conducting regular inspections of the waste-water lagoons, including daily monitoring. There continues to be no evidence of impacts to local drinking water.
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Removed excess water from the lagoons to create safe conditions.
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Treated more than 49 million gallons of process water at the water treatment facility built at the AltEn site by the FRG, 29.4 million gallons of which has been applied as a nutrient source to nearby farms.
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Consolidated and installed a temporary cover for the wet cake.
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Winterized AltEn’s ethanol plant and piping.
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Managed the chemical inventory left behind by AltEn.
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Conducted extensive bench-scale and pilot-scale studies to obtain the design data necessary for final management of the remaining site water and wet cake.
Resource Library
These photos, videos and fact sheets are free to be used by media for reports on progress at the AltEn site.
Photos
Videos
Wet Cake Pilot Project Resumes at AltEn Site (June 2024)
NewFields Senior Engineer Bill Butler provides an update about important activities at the AltEn site. The Wet Cake Pilot Project has resumed, with trucks carrying solidified, non-hazardous wet cake to be safely disposed at a nearby landfill. In addition, water continues to be pumped from the site’s lagoons and treated for land application.
Wet Cake Pilot Project to Continue in May (May 2024)
Drone Video Footage Captures Progress at AltEn Site (May 2024)
Drone Video Footage (March 2024)
A progress report on the wet cake pilot project, lagoon water treatment and land application updates, and other site activities.
Wet Cake Removal Begins During Pilot Project (October 2023)
The pilot project to solidify and transport wet cake off-site has started. Best practices are being used to reduce dust and odors, in addition to monitoring AltEn site air quality and cleaning County Road 10.
AltEn Solid Waste Pilot Project Explanatory video
As part of FRG’s approach to keeping the community informed, this video explains the Solid Waste Pilot Project.
Fact Sheets
Contact Information
If you would like to obtain downloadable content to use in a story, please contact Dan Corey.
Dan Corey | DCorey@thinkwixted.com
