Elyse Gabor | February 15, 2022

According to the DNR, a facility near Rock Valley polluted a creek after it leaked around 376,000 gallons of contaminated water. The facility was constructed by Colorado company, Gevo, which creates environmentally friendly fuels from manure. 

The polluted water moved to a crop field and drained into Lizard Creek. The creek flows into Rock River, and as of now, the extent of contamination is unknown. 

Gevo creates renewable fuel by extracting methane from manure produced by cattle. The gas is then transported to California, where it fuels low-emissions cars. The company plans to operate this year. 

The Rock Valley digester, one of three manure holding sites in the area, was contaminated early last week. As the leak began to seep into the ground, someone discovered the polluted water and traced it back to the new facility. According to Gevor spokesperson Heather Manuel, facility workers are trying hard to find the source of the leak. The company will also be checking all digesters moving forward. 

The DNR is unsure of what caused the leak to happen. They are also unclear as to how long the digester has been leaking.