Bayer later looked at a priority list set out by the Environment and Energy Department in its emergency complaint filed against Alt in days before the plant closed, Bowers said.

Remediation efforts have focused on lowering the lagoons to safer levels and building berms to control stormwater runoff from the more than 84,000 tonnes of pesticide-laden distillery grains rotting on the site. .

To date, over 12 million gallons of sewage has been removed from the lagoons and filtered.

In addition to the lagoons, the group will focus on cleaning the aboveground storage tanks and pipelines at the plant, grain storage facilities and properties adjacent to AltEn, depending on demand.

The application also mentions that sludge and manure from a nearby cattle feedlot that AltEn converted to methane gas to power the plant will be part of the cleanup.

Bowers said Bayer and the other five companies will continue to work through Clean Harbors, the site’s primary contractor, to meet the priorities identified in the long-term corrective action plan.

He added that it was too early to establish a cost or schedule for the cleanup.

“We will follow the leadership of NDEE, the experts we have hired and put in place options that will permanently and sustainably meet NDEE’s priorities,” said Bowers.