Stories

Iowa’s three largest public universities have determined that their coal ash disposal method does not pose a risk to the public health, a decision some say was made without sufficient evidence or regard for experiences with contamination in neighboring states.

The state legislature should hold public hearings into the way Iowa regulates coal ash disposal, the chairwoman of the state’s Environmental Protection Commission said.

At today’s monthly meeting, Iowa’s Environmental Protection Commission (EPC), an arm of the state’s Department of Natural Resources that provides policy oversight, will hear from Cedar Rapids-based Plains Justice on the potential public health risks associated with coal ash disposal in quarries and mines and why a system of standardized groundwater monitoring should be mandated.

State regulators should hold public hearings and conduct research to decide whether changes are needed in how Iowa regulates coal ash disposal, said the chairs of the House and Senate environmental committees.

When Iowa’s Department of Natural Resources last year began to draft tougher regulations on the disposal of coal ash, the toxic byproduct of burning coal, it faced an enormous backlash. And joining the fight against regulation was the University of Iowa.

Environmental advocates say that a failure of federal regulators to act poses a threat to public health.

Iowa’s regulations for dumping coal ash — the toxic by-product of coal-burning power plants — are so lax that the state has become a “destination” for dumpers from other states, experts say.

About 25 people met on Sunday in Iowa City to discuss and develop environmental policies for their precinct caucuses. They drafted “planks” (also called platforms) for energy policy, air quality, urban growth boundaries and in-fill development.  Some of the participants identified themselves as being part of a presidential campaign, others were concerned about public health [...]

The City Development Board today rejected a proposal for the annexation of 345 acres to build a 750-megawatt coal plant east of Waterloo.  Opponents of the plant are calling the decision a “major victory.”

The area under review contains the property of Merle Bell whose family has farmed the same 40 acres for over a century.

Carole [...]