Tyson accidentally discharges wastewater in Storm Lake, Iowa

An accidental discharge of wastewater from the Tyson Foods pork plant in Storm Lake, Iowa, was stopped about 30 minutes after it began.

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Nikonlike, Bigstock
Nikonlike, Bigstock

An accidental wastewater discharge occurred at the Tyson Foods pork plant in Storm Lake, Iowa, on January 19, but it was stopped within about a half hour.

It was estimated that about 16,500 gallons were released, with an undetermined amount of it reaching the lake, according to a report from Siouxland Proud

“We took immediate action to contain the accidental release of water from the plant and are working cooperatively with city and state officials as we continue to implement our containment and cleanup measures and further evaluate the matter,” Tyson Foods said in a statement emailed to WATT Global Media.

The Iowa Department of Natural Resources (DNR) said the likely cause was a pump failure in the plant.

Officials from the DNR said there should not be any meaningful environmental repercussions, because of the relatively small amount of wastewater that reached the lake. The agency said is monitoring the cleanup efforts and will consider appropriate actions of enforcement.

In addition to the pork plant, Tyson Foods also operates a turkey plant in Storm Lake, which it obtained through Tyson’s acquisition of Hillshire Brands in 2014.

In 2020, Tyson Foods announced plans to tear down an existing turkey feed mill in Storm Lake to construct a newer one.

Headquartered in Springdale, Arkansas, Tyson Foods, in addition to being a major pork producer, is the largest broiler producer and the fifth largest turkey producer in the United States.

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