NOTICE OF PERMIT ISSUANCE
The Nebraska Department of Environmental Quality (NDEQ) proposes to modify the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit to Smithfield Farmland Corp., 2223 County Road I, Crete, NE (NPDES# NE0032191; SIC 2011). The facility is a complex slaughterhouse operation that discharges of treated process wastewater through Outfall 001 to the Big Blue River; segment BB1-20000 of the Big Blue River Basin. Non-contact cooling water is discharged through Outfall 002 to Otoe Creek, an undesignated tributary to the Big Blue River; segment BB1-20000 of the Big Blue River Basin. The modification removes mass limits for TRC discharging from Outfall 002. The permit modification will not change the expiration date of the permit and will continue to restrict pollutant discharges to comply with the requirements of Department regulations. The draft permit, fact sheet and other public information are available for review at NDEQ’s Lincoln Office (address below) between 8:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. weekdays, excluding holidays. To request copies of the draft permit and other information, call 402-471-3557. Individuals requiring special accommodations or alternate formats of materials should notify the Department by calling 402-471-2186. TDD users should call 800-833-7352 and ask the relay operator to call the Department at 402-471-2186. Written comments, objection and/or hearing requests concerning permit issuance may be submitted to Lisa Giesbrecht, NPDES/NPP Permits Unit, Nebraska Department of Environmental Quality, 1200 N St., Suite 400, the Atrium, PO Box 98922, Lincoln, NE 68509-8922 before the comment period ending date of December 15, 2017. A determination to hold a hearing will be based upon factual environmental or regulatory consideration.