Iowa Department of Natural Resources

Iowa's largest ethanol producer POET, LLC agrees to $53,000 in fines for air emission violations

Iowa's largest ethanol producer – POET, LLC – has agreed to fines totaling $53,000 for hazardous air emissions from its Shell Rock refinery over a two-year period.

The Iowa Department of Natural Resources (IDNR) imposed a $10,000 fine – the most the department is allowed to levy without submitting the case to the Iowa Attorney General's office – and assessed a $43,000 fee – or $70 per ton for the more than 600 tons of volatile organic compounds (VOC's) the plant released during 2021 and 2022.

Yet another Bettendorf developer fined for violating soil retention rules; third order since September

Yet another Bettendorf developer has been fined for failing to control soil erosion while building a residential subdivision.

Tim Dolan, of Tim Dolan Development Co., agreed to pay the Iowa Department of Natural Resources (IDNR) $5,500 under a consent order signed Dec. 14.

The violation stems from onsite inspections of the Stoney Creek North Third Addition last April and May.

Another Bettendorf developer fined for failing to control soil runoff; violations date back two years

Another Bettendorf developer has been fined for repeatedly failing to halt erosion of soil from a residential development into a nearby creek.

Robert Fick, vice president of Mel Foster Properties and developer of the Century Heights Phase III subdivision, agreed to a $5,000 fine under a consent agreement with the Iowa Department of Natural Resources (IDNR).

The case dates back to two storm water runoff violations near Hess Court and Criswell Street that occurred Dec. 28, 2021 and June 23, 2022.

The order was filed November 16, nearly two years after the initial violation and nearly a year and a half after the second notice of violation was sent the developer.

Iowa greenhouse gas emissions declined 7.6% in 2020; drop primarily from pandemic impact


Source: 2020 Iowa Statewide Greenhouse Gas Emissions Inventory Report, Dec. 31, 2021

Iowa's greenhouse gas emissions in 2020 fell 7.6 percent from 2019, primarily because of lower electric power plant production and fewer vehicle miles traveled that resulted from the pandemic.

CLICK HERE to download the full report from the Iowa Department of Natural Resources.

Developer of senior housing in Muscatine agrees to $8,000 fine for allowing runoff to pollute Mad Creek

A former LeClaire developer now living in West Des Moines has agreed to pay an $8,000 fine for storm water runoff violations at a senior housing site in Muscatine that polluted the nearby Mad Creek.

James Bergman, of JNB Oak Park LP, signed the administrative consent order with the Iowa Department of Natural Resources (IDNR) last month. Bergman was one of the developers of Thomas Place Senior Housing in Bettendorf.

Bettendorf, Davenport likely to avoid multi-million dollar overflow basin for sewage treatment plant; upgrades have led to lower stormwater infiltration

Owners of the Davenport Waste Water Treatment Plant – the cities of Davenport, Bettendorf, Riverdale and Panorama Park – now appear likely to avoid building a multi-million holding basin designed to handle overflows of sewage and stormwater to the plant during flooding and after heavy rains.

The equalization basin – estimated to cost $25 million back in 2012 – was the most expensive requirement of a 2013 consent agreement between the Iowa Department of Natural Resources (IDNR) and the cities, which jointly operate the treatment facility along the Mississippi River on Concord Street, Davennport.

Iowa QC sewer system upgrades on schedule and reducing sewage overflows, consultant reports

Sewage overflows in Davenport have fallen from 104 in 2016 to 18 last year thanks to wastewater system improvements in Bettendorf and Davenport mandated under a 2013 consent order with the Iowa Department of Natural Resources (IDNR).

In Bettendorf, only two SSO's (sewage system overflows) were reported in 2017, and none have been recorded as of March 30 this year.

Falling coal-fired power plant use helped lower state-wide greenhouse gas emissions by 2 percent in 2016

Falling electric production from coal-fired power plants during 2016 helped lower state-wide greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions for the second year in a row, according to the Iowa Department of Natural Resources (IDNR).

Davenport/Bettendorf achieve big reductions in sewage overflows; court ordered fixes address dumping of sewage into Mississippi River

Upgrades to the jointly owned Davenport/Bettendorf sewage system over the past four years has led to "marked reductions" in untreated and partially treated sewage being dumped into the Mississippi River during flooding and after heavy rainfalls.

According to the annual report to the Iowa Department of Natural Resources (IDNR) filed April 1, the improvements to the sewage treatment plant and sewage collection systems in the two communities have "reduced sewer backups and overflows.

Only six exceedances of ambient air standards recorded in 2016; none recorded in Muscatine

Only six exceedances of National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) were recorded in Iowa during 2016 with none in Muscatine – long the state's hot spot for air pollution.

The Iowa Department of Natural Resource's Air Quality Bureau reported four exceedances of ozone standards and two exceedances of PM 2.5 (fine particulate matter smaller than 2.5 microns) standards for last year.

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