Only six exceedances of National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) were recorded in Iowa during 2016 with none in Muscatine – long the state's hot spot for air pollution.
The Iowa Department of Natural Resource's Air Quality Bureau reported four exceedances of ozone standards and two exceedances of PM 2.5 (fine particulate matter smaller than 2.5 microns) standards for last year.
Clean air advocates hailed July 15 as "Clean Air Day for Muscatine" when Grain Processing Corporation (GPC) switched from coal to natural gas to fire its boilers.
The boiler conversion – plus a host of other pollution control improvements at the facility – now appear to be making a big difference in the city's air quality.
Iowa air monitors recorded 91 exceedances of National Ambient Air Quality Standards during 2014, with the vast majority (71) occurring at three locations in Muscatine.
Of the 76 exceedances of sulfur dioxide standards in the state, 66 were recorded in Muscatine at the Musser Park, Greenwood Cemetery and Muscatine High School air monitoring stations. Of the 15 exceedances of fine particulate matter (less than 2.5 microns) statewide, five occurred at Muscatine monitors.
A federal judge has ruled federal animal-welfare inspectors can no longer conduct “courtesy visits” at dog-breeding operations while allowing violations to go unreported.
Lee Enterprises, Inc. – owner of the QC Times, the Dispatch-Argus and some 70 other newspapers and online new sites nationally – lost $37.5 million during its 2025 fiscal year ended Sept. 29.
For the fourth quarter, the media company headquartered in Davenport lost $6.4 million.
The Iowa Department of Natural Resources is seeking feedback on its 25-year wildlife action plan, which must be reviewed every 10 years per federal law.
The Region 7 administrator for the EPA sent out a news release recently (11/18) patting the back of the Iowa Department of Natural Resources (IDNR) and "local businesses" for reducing SO2 (sulfur dioxide) pollution, enabling Muscatine to achieve compliance with national air quality standards.... more