By Tracy Overstreet
tracy.overstreet@theindependent.com

All were discussed on Wednesday in a one-hour meeting called by Grand Island Mayor Margaret Hornady. The meeting was called amid repeated cases of Swift and the city polluting area waterways with the meatpacker's overloaded discharges.

Both Swift and the city were cited five times in the last nine months by the Nebraska Department of Environmental Quality. The most recent was a March 28 discharge that is being blamed for killing more than 10,000 fish in the city's outfall ditch, the Wood River and Platte River.

"I feel they fully recognize the significance and seriousness of the problem and they are as committed to a solution as we are," Hornady said. "They came in with proposals and drawings and everything but 8-by-10 glossy pictures."

Hornady said Swift Beef Division President David Colwell promised to have a new 25 million-gallon pretreatment lagoon, which is already under construction, completed by July instead of August. The new lagoon will be in addition to Swift's existing 9 million-gallon lagoon.

In addition, numerous interim internal processes have been or will be implemented within the next week.

Hornady said those include addition of a dissolved air flotation device for pretreatment, extra grit screens for added filtration and a secondary stand-by pump.

Swift is also paying to lease a machine for the city that will add oxygen to any discharges, if need be. The machine will be located on city property in the event that oxygen levels drop in discharges.

Hornady said the meeting was cordial. She didn't expect "groveling."

"There's nothing about the city of Grand Island that wants to be pumping polluted water or water without enough air to support wildlife and fish in, particularly into the water. We don't want to do it. We want it fixed," Hornady said. "I think they are as committed to that as we are."

Hornady said the city's Public Works Department will be conducting follow-up meetings with Swift. Swift also committed to provide a project timeline so the city knows immediately if the timeline is off. If it is, Swift will have to provide a reason why.

Hornady said she and four members of her management team reminded Swift officials that the meatpacker has made past promises that were just that promises.

She fully believes the promises made Wednesday will translate into positive action and a new contract that has increased fees and possible penalties from the city to Swift if discharge violations occur in the future.

If the positive action promised Wednesday doesn't materialize, Hornady reissued her previous edict.

"That valve is still there," Hornady said. "I said two weeks ago that I'd shut it off. I don't intend to. It's not my goal to do that. I don't want to do that. It would be the last thing in the world I would do. But if that's what's got to happen to protect the city of Grand Island, that's what has to happen."

Hornady said she's not above stomping through the wastewater treatment plant in her "heels and nylons" to turn the valve if need be.

"It's about doing what's right for Grand Island," she said.

A call to Swift on Wednesday was not returned.

"I don't think there will be any more massive discharges or overloadings," Hornady said. "I think they'll get a good handle on this."