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Missouri Prime Beef Packers Withdraws Application for Wastewater Discharge into River

Jan. 5, 2024
Permit application likely would have been denied after community, environmental groups voiced concerns over Pomme De Terre watershed’s current pollution levels.

Faced with a potential denial of its application for a permit to discharge up to 350,000 gallons of wastewater into the Pomme De Terre watershed in southwest Missouri, meat processor Missouri Prime Beef Packers has withdrawn the application, according to local news reports.

The company last summer asked the Missouri Department of Natural Resources (DNR) for approval to treat and discharge wastewater from its Pleasant Hope, Mo., facility into the river instead of the land application process it had been using for its wastewater. In August, local residents voiced their concerns over the addition of the plant’s wastewater to a river that was already showing signs of pushing the limits of acceptable contaminants. Opponents to Missouri Prime Beef Packers’ plan had pushed for the watershed to be labeled an impaired waterway based on data on the limits of certain contaminants.

In November, the DNR reportedly had drafted a notice of its intent to deny the permit, another local news report said. In addition, the DNR said in a separate report that the company was not authorized to discharge wastewater until such time it holds a permit, and that it couldn’t currently land apply the wastewater “until it receives a permit or through temporary enforceable operational parameters established through the department.”

About the Author

Andy Hanacek | Senior Editor

Andy Hanacek has covered meat, poultry, bakery and snack foods as a B2B editor for nearly 20 years, and has toured hundreds of processing plants and food companies, sharing stories of innovation and technological advancement throughout the food supply chain. In 2018, he won a Folio:Eddie Award for his unique "From the Editor's Desk" video blogs, and he has brought home additional awards from Folio and ASBPE over the years. In addition, Hanacek led the Meat Industry Hall of Fame for several years and was vice president of communications for We R Food Safety, a food safety software and consulting company.

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