LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — The University of Nebraska and federal authorities are awaiting a judge’s ruling on their agreement for the cleanup of polluted areas at the former Nebraska Ordnance plant near Mead.

The consent decree between the university and the Environmental Protection Agency was filed Dec. 31 in U.S. District Court in Lincoln and is being reviewed by Judge John Gerrard. An EPA attorney, James Stevens, says he doesn’t expect a decision until after a 30-day comment period that began with the decree filing.

During the late 1970s and early 1980s, the university hauled hazardous waste to the site and buried it. The site’s soil and groundwater already were contaminated with explosive compounds and toxic solvents. The university has spent more than $11 million on the cleanup.