Hebron, Neb.-Norder Supply Inc. could face tens of thousands of dollars in fines for a liquid nitrogen release last month that killed thousands of fish in the Little Blue River. Norder Supply has been cited in a notice of violation (NOV) for the incident by the Nebraska Dept. of Environmental Quality. Owner Tim Norder told Green Markets that the company is cooperating fully with the state and is also conducting its own investigation to determine how the solution got released into the river. “Rainwater that was being pumped out of the containment containing 20 percent nitrogen apparently made its way somehow into the river,” Norder commented. “If the spill was the company’s fault we’ll take care of it and do whatever is necessary.” DEQ spokesman Brian McManus noted that the state can assess penalties as high as $10,000 a day, but has not yet decided what action to take in this instance. According to the NOV, on July 25 an employee of Norder at Hebron pumped the contents of a secondary containment structure to a drainage ditch with a direct surface connection to the little Blue River. The facility does not have an NPDES permit authorizing discharges into waters of the state of Nebraska. The pumping resulted in the death of an estimated 23,467 fish for a distance of 11.8 miles downstream, in violation of National Surface Water Quality Standards. Norder is requested within 30 days to submit updated pollution and spill prevention plans and updated SOPs for the handling and storage of chemicals on site and the prevention and recovery of chemical spills and releases. Compliance does not mean enforcement action will not be considered, and may include issuance of an administrative order or referral to the attorney general for penalties up to $10,000 per day per violation.
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