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Proposed EPA rules would narrow protection for streams, wetlands under Clean Water Act

on Tue, 11/18/2025 - 19:51   by Anonymous

by Cami Koons, Iowa Capital Dispatch
November 17, 2025

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency proposed Monday new rules to define the waters of the United States, or WOTUS, protected under the Clean Water Act. 

The move was celebrated by farm groups that oppose a broad interpretation of the law, while environmental groups said the rule change would end protections for millions of acres of wetlands and small streams. 

Waters of the United States defines the scope of the Clean Water Act and which waters can be regulated with federal water quality standards. The WOTUS definition, which is not laid out in the Clean Water Act, has been the source of several U.S. Supreme Court cases in recent decades, most recently in Sackett v. EPA. 

EPA withdraws proposed rule for more stringent water pollution guidelines at slaughterhouses

on Fri, 09/12/2025 - 18:30   by Anonymous

by Cami Koons, Iowa Capital Dispatch
September 11, 2025

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has withdrawn a January 2024 proposed rule that would have reduced the discharge of nutrients and pollutants from meat packing plants and slaughterhouses. 

The agency said it chose to withdraw the rules in an effort to prioritize the nation’s food supply and to keep food prices down. 

Polk Co. report pins unhealthy rivers on ag pollution

on Thu, 06/26/2025 - 07:15   by Anonymous

by Jared Strong, Iowa Capital Dispatch
June 25, 2025

A long-awaited scientific report commissioned by Polk County says farm pollution threatens the ability to drink clean water and to safely interact with central Iowa streams, Iowa Capital Dispatch has learned.

The county announced its Central Iowa Source Water Research Assessment in 2023 and heralded it as a first-of-its-kind, unbiased and comprehensive examination of the watersheds that feed the Des Moines and Raccoon Rivers, which converge near downtown Des Moines.

The topic is acutely important: Central Iowa Water Works recently banned lawn watering — for the first time ever — to prevent nitrate concentrations in its treated drinking water from exceeding a federal health limit.

IDNR fines Kraft Heinz $8,000; Muscatine plant failed to monitor wastewater pollution for years

on Mon, 07/29/2024 - 20:05   by Anonymous

by Jared Strong, Iowa Capital Dispatch
July 26, 2024

A large eastern Iowa facility that makes ketchup and other condiments failed for more than two years to monitor contaminants in the more than 1 million gallons of untreated wastewater it discharged into a creek each day, according to the Iowa Department of Natural Resources.

Kraft Heinz Foods Company recently agreed to pay an $8,000 fine for the violations at its Muscatine location. It uses municipal water to cool its equipment and discharges it along with stormwater into Mad Creek, which flows for less than a mile to the Mississippi River.

Farm bureau crows about water quality progress; nutrient reduction report stats show otherwise

on Thu, 07/23/2020 - 21:22   by news

The Iowa Farm Bureau unleashed its public relations machine after release of the 2018-19 Nutrient Reduction Strategy (NRS) Report July 2, heralding what it called "clear and significant strides" on reducing nitrogen and phosphorus leaching from farms fields into state streams, rivers and lakes.

Problem is the farm bureau either failed to read the report statistics on nitrogen and phosphorus runoff, or simply chose to ignore the research results and spin the findings.

526,000 tons of nitrates 'exported' into Iowa rivers and streams in 2016; improved monitoring network providing better tracking of farm chemical runoff

on Mon, 12/18/2017 - 23:37   by news

An estimated 526,000 tons of nitrates were "exported" into Iowa rivers and streams in 2016, eventually flowing down the Mississippi River to the Gulf of Mexico and adding to the so-called "dead zone" where fish cannot survive.

According to the Annual Progress Report of the Iowa Nutrient Reduction Strategy (NRS) group released last week (12/12), more than 29 pounds of nitrogen from each of Iowa's 35.75 million acres of crop land ended up in state waterways.

Public input on Alcoa water permit change extended after some initial notices had wording mix-up

on Sat, 09/10/2016 - 02:24   by Editor

The public will now have until the end of September to comment on Alcoa's request to increase by 24 percent the amount of oil/grease, chromium, zinc, cyanide and other suspended solids it is allowed to discharge into the Mississippi River each month.

The higher volumes of chemicals contained in wastewater from the Riverdale plant are generated by the recently completed expansion of the facility to serve the automotive aluminum market.

The Iowa Department of Natural Resources (IDNR) ordered the notice be republished because of a mix-up in wording in some of the initial notices. The result was another 30-day period for the public to submit comments on the proposed change. Citizens can submit comments until Sept. 30 by email to: linda.hoehn@alcoa.com, or in writing to the company at 4879 State St., Bettendorf, IA 52722.

Alcoa seeks approval to boost discharge of pollutants into Mississippi River by 24 percent

on Tue, 08/16/2016 - 00:05   by Editor

Alcoa's Davenport Works wants to increase the amount of pollutants it can discharge into the Mississippi River by 24 percent to accommodate higher quantities of oil/grease, chromium, zinc, cyanide and other suspended solids generated by expansion of the Riverdale plant to serve the automotive aluminum market.

The company is seeking modification of its National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit issued by the Iowa Department of Natural Resources (IDNR). The permit revisions, if approved, would allow the plant to discharge a combined average of 548 pounds of pollutants each day into the river. That's an average of 106 pounds per day more than the plant's current permitted discharge.

Based on the plant's 312 production days each year, the change would permit the plant to dispose of an additional 33,000 pounds of those pollutants into the river annually.

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