As a Concerned Citizen of Eastern Nebraska, I, ______, Am Respectfully Requesting You To

As a Concerned Citizen of Eastern Nebraska, I, ______, Am Respectfully Requesting You To

Date: ______

Dear Sirs,

As a concerned citizen of eastern Nebraska, I, ______, am respectfully requesting you to initiate an Environmental Impact Study on the land on the southern boundary of Fremont where the proposed Lincoln Premium Poultry chicken processing complex will be built. This massive complex includes not only the processing plant, but also a feed mill, hatchery, and three wastewater lagoons.

My main concern about this complex being built in the Fremont area is two-fold. First, how is this going to affect our environment, both wildlife and water? The Fish and Wildlife Service maintains that there are a number of endangered species living in or near this land. These species include the federally threatened piping plover and northern long-eared bat, which are protected under the federal Endangered Species Act, and the federally endangered pallid sturgeon and least tern. These species would be affected by runoff of manure and road sediment into the Platte River. It has been determined that there is at least one bald eagle nest downstream from the Highway 77 Bridge. Bald Eagles are protected by both the Migratory Bird Treaty Act and the Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act. They are protected from being disturbed whether there are active nests or inactive nests (Source: Bald and Golden Eagle Protection Act). This area is also a Midwest Flyway of approximately two million migrating birds, which are protected by the Migratory Bird Treaty Act.

Historically, Fremont has had some of the purest and best tasting water in the nation. This could change because the plant will be located within a mile of Fremont’s well field. Potentially hazardous wastewater discharge high in nitrogen, phosphorus, suspended solids, fecal coliforms and pathogenic bacteria can affect the water. Runoff water laced with manure can also contain salmonella, E.coli, and campylobacter. Runoff also creates soil pollution; manure can contaminate ground and surface waters with nitrates and drug residues, which can cause cancer, birth defects, thyroid problems, blood disorders, neurological impairments, and liver damage. Airborne and water based pathogens from the processing plant can expose workers and the surrounding community to possibly antibiotic-resistant strains of Enterococci and Staphylococci (Source: Johns Hopkins). Runoff into Platte River, a major tributary of the Missouri River, will flow south to other major metropolitan areas such as Omaha and Lincoln, thereby affecting their water supplies too.

The second part of my concern is that the proposed plans by Greater Fremont Development Council regarding Lincoln Premium Poultry make NO reference to regulatory requirements or enforcement mechanisms. If this is truly the case, what human health risks, wildlife desecrations, and environmental degradations will the Fremont area incur with lack of or inefficient regulations and enforcements? An Environmental Impact Study needs to be done, so the health and environmental risks can be identified and the regulatory requirements established and enforced. The time to be reviewing and writing these is now, not later. Our environment and wildlife will be irreparably harmed if this plant is built.

Thank you for reading. If this processing plant is built, it will be a life changing event for ALL Nebraskans because if one processing plant is allowed to come, many more will follow, which will destroy Nebraska’s clean water, its soil, and many of its endangered species. Please request an Environmental Impact Study of this area located on the southern boundary of Fremont.

Signed ______