Environmentalists Take on Ethanol Plant
GREEN
BAY, Wisc. (CN) - An ethanol plant in Oshkosh dumped more than 400
million gallons of polluting effluents into the Fox River and Lake
Winnebago, environmentalists claim in Federal Court. Utica Energy is
accused of dumping chlorine, phosphorus, oil and grease and other
chemicals into public waters for more than 6 years, in violation of the
Clean Water Act.
The Clean Water
Action Council of Northeastern Wisconsin says the polluting plant has
dumped an average of 170,000 gallons of effluent a day for more than
2,390 days. The plant produces about 50 million gallons of ethanol a
year, from corn, according to the complaint. Plaintiffs say the plant
blew off their repeated notices of violations and requests for
monitoring.
The plaintiffs seek
remediation and penalties. Their lead counsel is Karen Schapiro with
Midwest Environmental Advocates of Madison.