Three environmental organizations have filed a lawsuit against the Iowa Department of Natural Resources (DNR), arguing the agency approved permits for an Ottumwa coal ash landfill without requiring compliance with updated federal pollution standards.
The lawsuit was filed by the Iowa Environmental Council, the Environmental Law & Policy Center, and the Sierra Club. The groups contend the permits issued for the Ottumwa coal ash landfill fail to include a timeline for reducing or eliminating coal ash leachate, a contaminated liquid that forms when rainwater filters through coal ash and carries pollutants. Federal regulations adopted in 2024 require facilities to stop those discharges as soon as possible, with a compliance deadline of Dec. 31, 2029.
The environmental groups argue the current permits leave downstream communities, wildlife, and waterways at risk by allowing continued releases of contaminated water. They also allege Interstate Power and Light Company, an Alliant Energy subsidiary that owns the Ottumwa Generating Station and its coal ash landfill, failed to fully evaluate available treatment options and did not adequately justify impacts to water quality.
According to Iowa Public Radio, the lawsuit seeks to have the permits revised so they comply with the Clean Water Act and updated federal standards for coal ash disposal. The case centers on whether the DNR’s approvals provide enough safeguards to prevent pollution from entering Iowa waterways.
https://www.iaenvironment.org/webres/File/05771__CVCV071455_PFLD_16406117.PDF
Source: Iowa Public Radio (IPR), reporting by Rachel Cramer
