AltEn Health Study Group

What is Alt-En?

Public health experts, led by the UNMC College of Public Health, are testing animals and taking samples of water, soil and air to investigate the extent of pollution by an ethanol plant being sued by the State of Nebraska. A group of public health experts from UNMC, UNL, Creighton University, and Three Rivers Public Health Department will track the path of chemicals from the AltEn plant into drinking water and its impact on the lives of Nebraskans. Adverse effects on human health will be assessed and monitored as the research continues. Also, see updates from the Nebraska Department of Environment and Energy. 

Why is this investigation happening? 

The AltEn LLC plant used seed corn coated with fungicides and insecticides (or wet cake)— including those known as neonicotinoids or “neonics” — to produce ethanol, becoming one of the largest stockpilers of surplus seed corn in the United States. The wet cake was sold to farmers as fertilizer until 2019, when it was found to be contaminated with levels of toxins in excess of 1,000 times the legal threshold. 

After being prohibited by the State of Nebraska from continuing to sell the wet cake, AltEn of Nebraska piled 84,000 tons of toxic wet cake and excess seed corn outdoors, rather than disposing of it. 

Since then, the wet cakes are rotting on the grounds of the plant near Mead, Neb., and a stench permeates the area. Snow and rain send chemical-laden runoff into waterways, contaminating groundwater and drinking water. In dry weather, the wind kicks up toxic dust that has been linked to public health issues in local residents.