{KXLG - Red Oak, IA} A significant environmental incident has occurred at the NEW Cooperative, Inc. facility in Red Oak, Iowa. On March 11, 2024, the company reported a substantial release of liquid nitrogen to the Iowa Department of Natural Resources (DNR). The spill was due to a valve left open on a fertilizer storage tank over the weekend of March 9th and 10th, resulting in approximately 265,000 gallons of liquid nitrogen flowing into the East Nishnabotna River via a stormwater drainage ditch.

Upon notification, DNR staff from the Environmental Field Office collaborated with NEW Cooperative personnel to halt the release and initiate cleanup operations. Concurrently, DNR Fisheries staff began assessing the impact on the Nishnabotna River.

The investigation revealed a widespread fish kill spanning all 49.8 miles of the East Nishnabotna and Nishnabotna Rivers downstream of the spill site. The devastation continued into Missouri's portion of the Nishnabotna River, ending near its confluence with the Missouri River.

As of March 28, 2024, the fish kill count is 749,242 across various species. The breakdown is as follows:

Investigations into the spill's impact on other aquatic life are ongoing.

Cleanup efforts at the NEW Cooperative facility continue, with contaminated soils removed from the facility and surrounding levees. These soils will be land applied at approved locations, following agronomic rates consistent with Iowa law. NEW Cooperative also pumps water from the levee's east side, storing it in on-site holding tanks until land application can occur. A third-party consultant samples the water-fertilizer mixture to determine accurate land application rates.

NEW Cooperative Inc., based in Iowa, was established in 1973 by farmers in Northeast Webster County, which is reflected in its acronym. The cooperative was formed by merging two local co-ops, one with rail capabilities and the other with additional grain for the outgoing trains.

Over the years, NEW Cooperative Inc. has expanded to include 60 locations across 19 counties in north, central, and western Iowa.