The most important bee-related story of the year: That ethanol plant in Nebraska
thebeereport.substack.com
I think the most important bee-related story of the year so far has been the ethanol plant in Nebraska that was processing pesticide-coated seeds – and then releasing wastewater filled with neonicotinoids and other chemicals into the environment without oversight or regulation. The impacts (that we currently know of) have included the death of numerous honey bee colonies and wildlife, poisoned pets, eye irritation and bloody noses in people, and a “horrible odor” wafting through the town of Mead. It’s a situation that I was made aware of recently by the Xerces Society, but it’s one that Dr. Judy Wu-Smart of the University of Nebraska Bee Lab has been pursuing for several years, and was first covered by The Guardian. Fortunately, the Nebraska Department of Environment and Energy just issued an emergency order to stop wastewater discharge from the plant, and state legislators are proposing bills to prohibit the use of treated seed in ethanol production and to shift responsibility to seed companies for appropriate disposal. But these are only first steps.
The most important bee-related story of the year: That ethanol plant in Nebraska
The most important bee-related story of the…
The most important bee-related story of the year: That ethanol plant in Nebraska
I think the most important bee-related story of the year so far has been the ethanol plant in Nebraska that was processing pesticide-coated seeds – and then releasing wastewater filled with neonicotinoids and other chemicals into the environment without oversight or regulation. The impacts (that we currently know of) have included the death of numerous honey bee colonies and wildlife, poisoned pets, eye irritation and bloody noses in people, and a “horrible odor” wafting through the town of Mead. It’s a situation that I was made aware of recently by the Xerces Society, but it’s one that Dr. Judy Wu-Smart of the University of Nebraska Bee Lab has been pursuing for several years, and was first covered by The Guardian. Fortunately, the Nebraska Department of Environment and Energy just issued an emergency order to stop wastewater discharge from the plant, and state legislators are proposing bills to prohibit the use of treated seed in ethanol production and to shift responsibility to seed companies for appropriate disposal. But these are only first steps.