LINCOLN — An environmental watchdog group is raising concerns about new groundwater sampling that shows some high concentrations of pesticides in the vicinity of the AltEn ethanol plant in Mead.

The AltEn plant had been using waste seed corn, coated in pesticides, to produce ethanol. Eight of the nine test wells recently drilled showed some level of pesticide contamination, according to the Perivallon Group.

Perivallon spokesman Al Davis said wells more than 50 feet below AltEn's wastewater lagoons contained significant leaching of the toxic solutions.

Davis said NDEE has documented for some time that there are holes in the damaged liners.

“Once again, we see that the efforts of the Nebraska Department of Environment and Energy, the AltEn Facility Response Group, and AltEn LLC have not been enough to protect the aquifer from contamination,” Davis said.

Director of NDEE, Jim Macy, said his agency had visited AltEn three times a week and was working closely with a group of six seed corn companies to clean the site at no cost to the state.

Perivallon said that of most concern are the levels of three contaminants found in the groundwater: Mefenoxam, a fungicide, which tested at 2,700 micrograms per liter; Thiamethoxam, a neonicotinoid, at 2,000 micrograms per liter; and the insecticide Chlorantraniliprole, which tested at 960 micrograms per liter.

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