MEAD — Deb Virgl said the pile of “wet cake” waste from the local ethanol plant, deposited near her rural home, reeked so horribly that she stopped walking the dog.

The plant gained notoriety for using pesticide-coated seed corn to produce ethanol, unlike other ethanol plants that use field corn.

After repeatedly ignoring orders by state environmental regulators to clean up the piles of contaminated grain sixteen months ago, the plant was shut down.

Dr. Ali Khan of the University of Nebraska Medical Center now says "There are good reasons to suspect that there could be adverse impacts... that's why we're here. You see enough dead bees to know that isn't a good thing."

UNMC students have sampled frogs, tadpoles, and probing red-winged blackbird nests to determine whether such "sentinel" species with traces of pesticide contamination are declining in population or are having difficulties reproducing.

Khan added that the results of many of the tests are three to six months away. What is known currently is that many of the 21 chemicals of concern are being found in soil and in streams leading from the plant, as well as in swabs in one home.

Officials say a medical registry of local residents will begin to track medical issues to see if they differ from those experienced elsewhere.

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