It was a packed house at UNO on January 25th when members of OTOC’s Environmental Sustainability Action Team (ESAT), League of Women Voters and others collaborated to ask, “Who is Watching Nebraska’s Waters?”  For clear summary of the risks associated with Costco/Lincoln Premium Poultry project in Fremont and surrounding counties, click on the link below:

John Hopkins – Fremont NE Poultry Processing and Production__ Letter_final

The discussion  focused on how to protect the watersheds around Omaha from the runoff coming from large scale livestock producing and processing operations that are part of this project.  OTOC’s Environmental Sustainability Action Team is hosting this in partnership with the League of Women Voters and Nebraska Communities United in order to assure that the public begins to understand this issue.

The Panel featured panelists, Bill Stowe, CEO & GM, Des Moines Water Works, Dr. Alan Kolok, Director of Nebraska Watershed Network & Director of the Center for Environmental Health and Toxicology at UNMC provided the audience with an abundance of information.

The participants learned that over 250,000 chickens will be processed each day in the Fremont plant, and over 17 million birds will be raised in 400 different facilities in the surrounding counties. These birds will produce 900,000,000 lbs of manure each year.

The OTOC ESAT wants there to be an adequate study of the potential water quality problems and careful monitoring of our watersheds if this project is built.

I…change only happens when ordinary people get involved and they get engaged, and they come together to demand it.”

-President Barack Obama