IOWA Ranks No. 9 In Pollution Report

Iowa Channel.com – Des Moines

DES MOINES, Iowa — The Iowa Public Interest Research Group said Iowa ranked ninth in the nation in the percentage of industries and cities violating their pollution permits during an 18-month period. 

The environmental advocacy group says that of 129 permits issued to Iowa industrial and municipal operations, 92 were violated at least once between January 1, 2002, and June 30, 2003 — a 71 percent violation rate. (more)

STUDY: Iowa waterways tainted by pollutants

Iowa City Press Citizen – Iowa City

More than 30 years after passage of the Clean Water Act, Iowa ranks ninth in the nation for contributing more than six times the allowed amount of pollutants to waterways, including the Iowa River, according to a report released Tuesday. 

“We want to call on the state and political leaders to muster up the guts it's going to take to better enforce clean water laws,” said Rose Garr, Midwest field organizer for the Iowa and Illinois Public Interest Research Group. (more)

View the study here.

IOWA Senate passes air quality bill

Rochester Agri News – Rochester, MN

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — The Senate on Wednesday passed an air quality bill that critics say will delay enforcement of pollution standards around livestock farms.

The House bill requires a 3-year study of hydrogen sulfide, ammonia and odor around livestock farms before emissions limits are set.

Under the bill, the Iowa Department of Natural Resources would be required to collect air samples from livestock operations around the state. The agency would use the results to develop new standards that would be subject to public hearing before being adopted.  (more)