South Sioux City’s Big Ox Energy plant has been cited for more alleged violations by the Nebraska Department of Environmental Quality.
The Department’s air quality division conducted inspections at the Big Ox plant on July 26th, and August 1st, 7th and 13th.
The state says hatches on two anaerobic digesters were open on July 26th and venting uncontrolled emissions of hydrogen sulfide.
The D-E-Q says the equipment has not been maintained and has had overflows since May of this year.
The agency also claims Big Ox failed to control dust from their property and it was visibly airborne beyond the property line.
Big Ox has been given ten days to make repairs and come into compliance with state code or face penalties of $10,000 per day.
A statement from Big Ox’s Kevin Bradley provided to news media says the company is fully cooperating with the Nebraska Department of Environmental Quality and is in daily communication with NDEQ.
He says a comprehensive clean-up effort will continue until all materials released from the digester are removed and disposed of properly.
Bradley says the materials are organic and pose no threat to the community and that Big Ox Energy has hired an environmental remediation firm to assist with the clean-up effort.
