The city of South Sioux City has filed a new lawsuit in Dakota County District Court against Big Ox Energy.
The lawsuit also names several financial entities, including Wells Fargo, as defendants.
The lawsuit relates to the wastewater treatment facility previously operated by Big Ox Energy-Siouxland, LLC and Big Ox Energy, Inc.
That plant was closed by the company in 2019 after years of environmental problems and violations.
The City’s lawsuit seeks to hold Big Ox responsible for their actions and seeks monetary damages to compensate the City for losses that it has incurred for having to find an alternate facility to accept the City’s wastewater.
The City’s lawsuit also seeks judgment on the City’s obligations under contracts involving the facility’s operators, owner, and lenders.
Wells Fargo claims South Sioux City should pay for its use of the wastewater treatment facility even though the facility is not in operation and the City has not sent wastewater to the facility in nearly two years.
The City Council denied that claim in October, and the City seeks an order from the court declaring that the City is not required to make payments.
