MEAD- A Saunders County District Court judge agreed last week to give the state of Nebraska more time to reach a settlement with a defunct ethanol plant that is the subject of a major environmental cleanup. Judge Christina Marroquin issued a stay of proceedings in Nebraska's lawsuit against AltEn, which will allow the remediation effort of the biofuel refinery near Mead to continue uninterrupted in the coming months.

The 97-page complaint faulted AltEn, which used pesticide-coated seeds to produce ethanol, for improperly disposing of the tens of thousands of tons of solid waste and millions of gallons of liquids contaminated with agricultural chemicals it created. Attorneys for both the state and AltEn asked Marroquin to stay the proceedings while "confidential settlement discussions" regarding the lawsuit and other legal matters facing the former ethanol plant continued.

"The parties agree a stay would be in the interests of justice and will not harm the parties given the mutual desire to engage in confidential settlement discussions with the goal of a global resolution," the request for a stay indicated. Marroquin agreed to delay the case until Dec. 1, and set the status hearing for Dec. 2 in Saunders County District Court.

For the full article click HERE