At a public meeting on January 30th the Commissioners of Hall County, NE. heard testimony from residents impacted by frequent air and water contamination emanating from the JBS, Grand Island plant. The meeting included testimony from the Nebraska Department of Environment and Energy with documentation of at least one wastewater violation each month over a prolonged period.
The Board is responding by addressing a letter to the company urging it to be “more accountable in policies and practices concerning air and water environmental issues.”
The Head of Corporate Communications for JBS stated that the company is “working hard to address any potential impacts from the recent wastewater incident at our Grand Island beef production facility.” A full investigation is underway as to what caused the failure of a lagoon structure leading to the released of two million gallons of effluent into the Wood River, potentially affecting wells and groundwater.
It is apparent that JBS Grand Island plant has a problem with waste disposal and accordingly appropriate investment will be required to prevent further environmental incidents. The action of Hall County Commissioners by simply writing a letter encouraging compliance would appear inadequate. This as with the 2020 COVID crisis is a further example of the power of a large company responsible for significant employment and contribution to the tax base of a rural county.