DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — The Iowa Department of Public Health says residents and businesses near a Des Moines soy processing plant face no health threat from the facility's emissions.
The Des Moines Register reports that a study was conducted following complaints about an Archer Daniels Midland plant in northeast Des Moines. The plant is one of the top producers of hazardous pollutants in central Iowa, and is expected to increase its emissions as it expands production.
The state completed an independent health consultation that evaluated the maximum levels of the compound hexane that will be emitted. The analysis showed levels will remain well below those known to impact human health.
Jeff Witte, a neighborhood association president in the area, says the consultation gave some residents peace of mind.
