MEAD, Neb. -- The town of Mead is still facing rotting waste outside of the defunct ethanol plant, and the possibility of finding solutions is running out.

A team of UNMC researchers are searching for the cause and effects of that waste, but they will be out of funding come June.

Sen. Carol Blood is proposing a bill to continue funding the research: LR159.

She told NCN she believes there could be more serious risks in the underground plume of chemicals yet to be discovered.

"It's time for Nebraska to put on its big boy pants [...] We made mistakes, but we never want this to happen to anybody in Nebraska again," she said. 

This Thursday, families who had to move or whose health was impacted by the toxic waste plan to testify at the Nebraska legislature.

If the bill passes and funding continues -- which Sen. Blood is pessimistic about happening -- she estimates the research could take another year.

NDEE has declined to comment on the situation while the investigation is ongoing. 

The office of Gov. Pete Ricketts is also unable to comment at this time.