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City official: Guard base contaminated Sioux City drinking water
There are small amounts of so-called “forever chemicals” in Sioux City’s treated drinking water, and the likely source of contamination is an Iowa Air National Guard base, said Brad Puetz, utilities director for Sioux City. An analysis of groundwater in the area about three years ago revealed perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances — commonly called PFAS […]
Lawmakers seek to salvage summer E15 fuel
Iowa’s two U.S. senators hope to codify a waiver into federal law that would allow gasoline fuels that are 15% ethanol to be sold during the summer. “I hope Congress can act to fix this issue,” U.S. Sen. Chuck Grassley, a Republican, said this week. “It makes no sense for a quirk of environmental regulation […]
Regional water plan advances with Urbandale vote
Two of the three major players of a proposed regional water system for the Des Moines metro area are on board. Now, attention turns to West Des Moines. The three trustees of the Urbandale Water Utility voted unanimously Wednesday to be a founding member of the proposed Central Iowa Water Works, contingent upon a palatable […]
Iowa’s COVID infection rate hits all-time high
The rate of new confirmed coronavirus infections in Iowa recently surpassed the state’s previous peak in November 2020, according to newly released state data. On Sunday, the state’s one-week total for COVID-19 cases was nearly 38,000. The previous peak in 2020 was about 34,000. That means an average of more than 5,400 people have been […]
Third carbon pipeline proposed for Iowa
Another out-of-state company has announced a plan to build hundreds of miles of pipeline to transport carbon dioxide from ethanol plants and pump it into the ground. Wolf Carbon Solutions said it has an agreement with Archer-Daniels-Midland Company (ADM) to take carbon dioxide from its facilities in Cedar Rapids and Clinton in eastern Iowa and […]
DNR: Ames drinking water has ‘forever chemicals’
Statewide drinking water testing has revealed two more cities with detectable amounts of toxic chemicals that persist indefinitely in the environment, including Ames, the state’s ninth-most-populous city. The Iowa Department of Natural Resources is sampling water in dozens of cities to gain a better understanding of the prevalence of perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances — commonly […]
Urbandale poised to vote on water regionalization
The three-member board that oversees the Urbandale Water Utility is set to vote Wednesday on whether to explore its membership of a regional water utility for the Des Moines metro area. The proposal to jointly govern water production has brewed for years but has renewed urgency as the utilities in Des Moines and West Des […]
State sues Sioux City for Missouri River pollution from wastewater plant
For years Sioux City has failed to properly treat its wastewater to ensure excessive amounts of bacteria or treatment chemicals weren’t expelled into the Missouri River, according to a state lawsuit that was filed against the city Friday. “The city potentially endangered human lives and wildlife by violating water-quality rules and perpetrating a fraud to […]
Navigator plans to seek pipeline permit in May
A Texas company that wants to build a pipeline to transport liquid carbon dioxide across the state has nearly concluded a series of informational, public meetings and plans to formally petition in May for permission to build it. “This is your land, and treating it with the utmost respect is the top priority for us,” […]
Omicron is 50% of Iowa coronavirus cases
About half of recent coronavirus infections in Iowa — which are spiking and have reached new heights in Johnson County, for example — have been caused by the omicron variant, according to State Hygienic Lab analyses. “The surge of delta and omicron cases are stressing our health care system,” said Sarah Ekstrand, a spokesperson for […]
DNR: Felon asked wife to pretend she shot trophy buck
A 38-year-old rural Burlington man who is a convicted felon and prohibited from possessing firearms is accused of poaching a trophy deer with a muzzleloader rifle in October, according to court records. Adam Aaron Rhodes faces a felony charge for having a firearm and is accused of more than three dozen hunting violations. State conservation […]
Are ‘forever chemicals’ in your drinking water? Check here
The state has created an interactive, online map for Iowans to track whether their drinking water has detectable amounts of cancer-causing chemicals that persist in the environment indefinitely. The map reflects early testing by the Iowa Department of Natural Resources for perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances — commonly referred to as PFAS or “forever chemicals.” They […]