On April 8, 2022, Woodard & Curran Inc. submitted an Antidegradation Report and applications for a new 3.5 million gallon per day (MGD) wastewater treatment facility for American Foods Group, later changed to American Foods Development Co., and Public Water Supply District No. 2, in Wright City, Missouri. American Foods is building a beef processing facility next to the existing Wright City Wastewater Treatment Facility, which has a treatment capacity of 0.5 MGD. American Foods is proposing to process 2,400 cows per day, which would contribute 1.5 MGD. 

On Dec. 8, 2023, American Foods Development Co. LLC submitted a wastewater operating permit application for a new treatment facility, America’s Heartland Packing Wastewater Treatment Facility, with an update submitted Jan. 16, 2024. The long-term plan is to build a new treatment facility to incorporate flows from the Wright City South Wastewater Treatment Facility and provide additional treatment capabilities for community growth while accommodating water quality goals. The existing Wright City Wastewater Treatment Facility would be decommissioned.

Preliminary Review

Permitting

This industrial facility is exempt from construction permitting, according to 10 CSR 20-6.010(5)(A)5. On the basis of preliminary staff review and applying applicable standards and regulations, the department issued a draft operating permit for public review and comment. The department invited the public to review and offer written comments on the draft permit and scheduled two public hearings an opportunity for the public to provide verbal comments to the department. After considering all public comments, the department issued a final operating permit on July 1, 2024.

The facility is expected to transfer to the district shortly after the industrial permit is issued. The ownership transfer will require another permit public comment period, as some of the conditions will change. There are different regulatory requirements for publicly owned treatment works than there are for industrial dischargers.

Construction