Attorney Dave Domina was recently interviewed by several media outlets for insight into concerns over an ethanol plant in Mead, Nebraska and its impact on the surrounding community and environment.
As reported by 1011 Now, the state temporarily shut down the 24-million-gallon ethanol plant owned by AltEn LLC after it spilled millions of gallons of toxic water in February. In March, the state filed a lawsuit over environmental violations related to the spill and the more than 84,000 tons of distillers grains from treated corn seed that’s too toxic to use for feed or fields piled on the land.
During a meeting on April 12th, local residents received some positive news when researchers from the University of Nebraska Medical Center announced that they are investigating contamination of water, soil, and air caused by the plant. UNMC researchers will also study the long-term effects of exposure to thousands of tons of seed treated with various neonicotinoid pesticides and fungicides.
In an interview with 1011 Now, Attorney Dave Domina said the study, which will track the medical journeys of volunteer Mead residents over a 10-year period, is a step in the right direction:
“And the observation I would make about that is not one of the researchers on that list is from Monsanto, or Dupont, Pioneer, or any industry. One of the things that needs to happen in the United States is we need to take our research back from industry and put it in the hands of the people.”
Residents are also hopeful for a quick clean-up of the plant. In addition to seeking damages for environmental violations, the Nebraska AG’s lawsuit against AltEn seeks an injunction to remove the contaminated distillers grains from the site. As Dave Domina told Progressive Farmer magazine, however, the state won’t be able to say where the toxic seed waste should go. He noted that state laws are “woefully inadequate” for addressing all the problems at the plant.