Tyson Foods in Storm Lake experienced a pump failure early this (Wednesday) morning, and a small, but undetermined, amount of wastewater reached the nearby lake. An estimated 16,500 gallons of waste was released from the processing facility between 2:25 a.m. and 2:58 a.m. It is not clear how much made it to the waterbody, but officials from the Iowa Department of Natural Resources (DNR) and Tyson are working to determine a more specific estimate. A Tyson spokesperson says, “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 and the City of Storm Lake are collecting samples for testing, but the DNR does not expect the relatively small amount of wastewater that reached the lake to have any environmental impacts. The DNR will monitor the cleanup and consider enforcement actions if appropriate.
