Three environmental groups are suing the Iowa D-N-R for approving permits allowing coal plant waste at an Ottumwa landfill. Radio Iowa’s Dar Danielson reports.
(as said) The Iowa Environmental Council, Environmental Law & Policy Center, and Sierra Club
say the waste from the Ottumwa coal-burning power plant co-owned by Alliant Energy and MidAmerican Energy pollutes Iowa’s groundwater and waterways, posing a serious risk to nearby communities, fish, and wildlife. The lawsuit focuses on coal ash leachate, which is water that flows through coal ash, that the groups says picks up heavy metals. The groups say federal discharge limits adopted in 2024 require facilities to stop discharging leachate “as soon as possible,” but the permits issued by the D-N-R include no timeline for doing so.
