Department of Environment and Natural Resources
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: April 20, 2001
For more information: Kim Smith, 773-3152

PIERRE – The South Dakota Soybean Processors plant in Volga is back in compliance with its air quality and wastewater discharge permits. It took a new wastewater treatment system and modifications to its existing air pollutant recovery system to reach compliance.

"South Dakota Soybean Processors has invested in the improvements necessary to bring the plant into environmental compliance," said DENR Secretary Steve Pirner. "DENR staff will monitor the changes made by South Dakota Soybean Processors to ensure the problems have been corrected for the long term." 

The air quality violations resulted from venting more hexane from the plant than allowed. Hexane is used to separate soybean oil from the flaked soybeans. South Dakota Soybean installed a complex hexane recovery system to reduce the amount of hexane vented. To check the operation of the hexane recovery system, South Dakota Soybean also developed and implemented a hexane monitoring program. 

Wastewater violations were from high amounts of organic material discharged to the Volga city wastewater treatment plant and apparent high chlorine levels in wastewater discharged from the soybean plant. South Dakota Soybean installed a new wastewater treatment system that will treat its wastewater to reduce the organic material discharged to the Volga city wastewater plant.

The improvements to the air pollutant recovery system, new wastewater treatment system, and other environmental improvements are part of a settlement reached between South Dakota Soybean Processors and DENR for the environmental violations. The settlement also includes a $53,000 civil penalty. Civil penalties collected by the state for environmental violations are deposited in the state Regulated Substance Response Fund, which is used to respond to environmental emergencies. 

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