The Hall County Commissioners meeting on Feb. 13, (Carol Bryant, Central Nebraska Today)
GRAND ISLAND — Hall County Commissioner Gary Quandt wants to see a committee formed to look at environmental issues with the JBS meatpacking plant and the wastewater treatment plant.
Quandt asked that the item be placed on the agenda for the Commissioners’ Feb. 13 meeting.
Quandt noted that JBS is the city’s largest employer with 4,250 employees.
He said that he would like to see Commissioners Jane Richardson and Ron Peterson serve on the committee, which also would include representatives from the city and JBS.
Peterson said there should be a secondary containment area on the JBS property that would collect wastewater if there is a lagoon breach, so that the wastewater doesn’t reach Wood River.
Richardson suggested keeping the committee as small as possible.
“The more people you get involved, the less you get accomplished,” she said.
Richardson said she had a Zoom meeting Monday with State Senator Ray Aguilar and Nebraska Department of Environment and Energy officials to discuss the lagoon breach. She said she had invited JBS officials to attend the Feb. 13 Commissioners’ meeting, but no JBS representative attended the meeting.
Commissioners voted 7-0 to proceed with getting a committee formed to address the environmental issues at the JBS plant and wastewater treatment plant.
