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Today, Iowa environmental groups sued the Iowa Department of Natural Resources (DNR) for approving permits that allow hazardous disposal practices at the Ottumwa coal ash landfill, which holds waste from the Ottumwa coal-burning power plant co-owned by Alliant Energy and MidAmerican Energy. Toxic discharge from the coal plant pollutes Iowa’s groundwater and waterways, posing a serious health risk to nearby communities, fish, and wildlife. The groups — Iowa Environmental Council (IEC), Environmental Law and Policy Center (ELPC), and Sierra Club — are asking the Court to order the DNR to require Alliant to stop the discharge of coal ash leachate.
Coal ash is a byproduct of burning coal for energy. It contains toxic heavy metals, including arsenic, mercury, lead, and other toxins that can cause cancer, disease, and physical and neurological harm.
“Iowa has an enormous amount of coal ash across the state. In Ottumwa, Alliant has no plan to protect the public from dangerous heavy metals leaching into the groundwater from its coal ash landfill,” said Michael Schmidt, General Counsel at IEC. “Iowans are facing a cancer crisis and should not have to endure this ongoing risk.”
