Lincoln Premium Poultry - Fremont, Nebraska | What chicken plant’s opponents are worried about, and how Costco and its partners have responded
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What chicken plant’s opponents are worried about, and how Costco and its partners have responded

What chicken plant’s opponents are worried about, and how Costco and its partners have responded

By Barbara Soderlin / World-Herald staff writer

Poultry plant opponents have raised a number of concerns about the project. How does Costco and its partners say they’re addressing those?

Concern:

Chicken “litter” — a mix of manure, feathers, and bedding — is composted and used as farm fertilizer. If it’s applied too heavily or at the wrong time, nitrates and phosphorus can run off into groundwater.

Response:

Beyond state requirements, Costco says it will require all its chicken farmers to file a “nutrient management plan,” an analysis of where fertilizer is needed, and how much, to prevent misapplication. They’ll have to document when and where they apply litter. Utilities officials in Omaha and Fremont say they do not expect the poultry farms to increase fertilizer pollution above current levels.