The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has announced plans to designate Muscatine County in "non-attainment" for sulfur dioxide (SO2) pollution, a move Gov. Terry Branstad and the Iowa Department of Natural Resources (IDNR) had tried to sidetrack two years ago.

In his letter to the EPA's regional administrator in June 2011, Branstad recommended Muscatine County be designated as "unclassifiable" under the new SO2 emission standards, a move supported by the IDNR, then headed by Roger Lande, a prominent Muscatine attorney who resigned as IDNR director last year.

The average Bettendorf homeowner would see an overall 5 percent hike in property taxes and city service fees under the proposed $87.1 million 2013-14 budget outlined at recent city council sessions.

The owner of the median-priced home – having an assessed value of $162,235 – would see an annual increase of $42 in property taxes, $18 in sewer fees, $4 in storm water fees and $4.60 in garbage collection cost under the budget proposal.

MidAmerican Energy's president told the Des Moines Register newspaper the company will not seek legislation this legislative session that would allow the utility to bill customers in advance for construction of a future nuclear power plant.

William Fehrman said the utility would not make a third attempt to pass such legislation because "the political support isn’t there," according to the Register article.

Bettendorf city officials appear ready to sign a consent order with the Iowa Department of Natural Resources (IDNR) calling for $32 million in sewer system upgrades over the next 20 years.

The agreement with the IDNR was outlined to the city council Monday (2/4) by engineering consultants Veenstra & Kimm and aldermen are expected to vote on the deal next month.

Emissions of greenhouse gases – primarily carbon dioxide, methane and nitrous oxide – in Iowa fell nearly 4 percent in 2011, with most of the decline coming from lower amounts emitted by electric generating stations burning coal and natural gas.

The 2011 emission totals were released Tuesday (2/5) by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and online charts showing emission data from individual companies and locations in the state can be viewed by clicking on this link. Click on "Read More" below to view a listing of the top 50 emitters of greenhouse gases in Iowa and their total emissions in 2011.

Isle of Capri Casinos, Inc. – owner of both Iowa Quad Cities gambling boats – announced last week (2/2) it will put up $25 million to join Tower Investments LLC in a bid for the second gambling license in the city of Philadelphia.

In its filing with Security and Exchange Commission, the Isle said it is putting up the money in the form of a standby letter of credit, "issued for the purposed of securing the Pennsylvania gaming license fee related to the project." If the venture is successful in being selected by the state gaming authority, the $25 million would be converted into a minority investment in the resort and casino venture, called "The Provence."

After a three-year freeze on executive compensation because of "continuing difficult economic conditions affecting the company," Lee Enterprises' President and Chief Executive Officer Mary E. Junck received an 11 percent salary increase to $900,000 in 2012, plus stock awards and cash incentives of more than $1.1 million.

The comprehensive Bettendorf bike/trail plan to be opened up for public discussion Monday (1/28) calls for bike lanes and a shared use path along 18th Street between 53rd Avenue and Spruce Hills Drive.

It took six years, but the Sierra Club of Iowa Tuesday (1/22) settled a long-standing score with MidAmerican Energy over air emissions from the utility's coal-fired power plants.

Six years ago, the Sierra Club sued MidAmerican Energy in federal court alleging the utility violated air quality permit regulations at its newest 790-megawatt coal-fired generating unit in the Council Bluffs Energy Center.

Lee Enterprises – owner of the Quad City Times and 47 other daily newspapers – today (1/22) reported first quarter earnings of 28 cents per share, down from 32 cents per share for the same period a year ago.

Overall print and digital advertising revenue for the quarter – normally the newspaper industry's strongest advertising period because of the holiday shopping season – fell 6.3 percent compared with the company's first quarter last year.