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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 8, 2023
MEDIA CONTACT: Tim Hall at 515-452-6633 or Tim.Hall@dnr.iowa.gov
 DES MOINES - The state of Iowa faced a dry May with only 2.54 inches of rainfall, which is just over half of its normal rainfall for the month. This lack of rainfall has led to deteriorating conditions in soil moisture and stream flows across the state. Southwest Iowa has been hit the hardest with less than two inches of rain, which is only 35 percent of expected May precipitation. As a result, Iowa's Drought Regions have been rated as "Drought Watch", indicating that at least three indicators in the Iowa Drought Plan call for that designation. The US Drought Monitor also shows that nearly all of Iowa is facing some form of dryness or drought.
According to Tim Hall, Iowa Department of Natural Resources coordinator of hydrology resources, this rapid intensification of existing drought is consistent with "Rapid Onset Drought" or flash drought. This phenomenon is driven by very low rainfall in May, combined with warmer than normal temperatures. However, there is still hope as June is generally the wettest month in Iowa. If the state experiences normal June rainfall, the downward trend in conditions could be turned around.
For a thorough review of Iowa’s water resource trends, visit www.iowadnr.gov/watersummaryupdate.
The report is prepared by technical staff from Iowa DNR, the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship, IIHR—Hydroscience and Engineering, and the U.S. Geological Survey, in collaboration with Iowa Homeland Security and Emergency Management Department.
MEDIA CONTACT: Jessica Ragsdale at jessica.ragsdale@dnr.iowa.gov
READYN - The Iowa Department of Natural Resources (DNR) was notified on June 7 of a fish kill in Crane Creek, southwest of Readyn in Bremer County.
DNR staff from the Fisheries Bureau and Environmental Services & Compliance Bureau investigated and found that the fish kill extended approximately 3 miles.
Field tests found no presence of ammonia. No definitive source of the kill has been identified at this time.
DNR staff are onsite today to conduct a count of dead fish. Several different species of dead fish were observed in the area.
The issue does not appear to be ongoing; live fish were found in the area of the fish kill.
 MEDIA CONTACT: Danielle Roseland, DNR, at 515-217-0010 or Danielle.Roseland@dnr.iowa.gov.
DES MOINES – Ten Iowa businesses have teamed with the Iowa DNR’s Pollution Prevention (P2) Intern Program this summer to increase the efficiency of their operations and reduce associated costs.
Upper-level engineering students work on-site at their assigned company to conduct in-depth assessments, analyze data, research pollution prevention strategies, and provide calculated recommendations. Companies utilize the data to make informed decisions and drive implementations that will help meet their environmental performance goals.
Pollution Prevention or “P2” is the process of going back up the pipe to identify the root cause of inefficiency and applying source-reduction strategies to reduce or eliminate waste in a process or system,” says Jeff Fiagle, Team Lead for the DNR’s P2 Services team. Technical advisers with the P2 Intern Program provide training and oversight to the interns seeking long-term solutions for the host companies to improve environmental performance and bolster profits.
Since 2001, more than 200 Iowa companies, hospitals, universities, and government agencies have teamed with the P2 Intern Program, accumulating more than $114.5 million in savings from using resources more efficiently and improving environmental performance.
Environmental benefits achieved include the reduction of:
- 9 billion gallons of water
- 266,777 tons of solid waste
- 10,139 tons of hazardous waste
- 510 million kilowatt hours of electricity
- 23 million therms of energy.
Companies participating in the 2023 P2 Intern Program include (listed alphabetically by town):
Charles City: Trelleborg Wheel Systems America
Des Moines: Anderson Erickson Dairy
Des Moines: Dee Zee, Inc.
Eddyville: Ajinomoto Health & Nutrition North America, Inc.
Fort Dodge: CJ Bio America
Grimes: National Carwash Solutions
Marshalltown: JBS USA, LLC
Nevada: Burke Marketing Corporation – Hormel Foods
Ottumwa: JBS Swift Pork
Storm Lake: Tyson Foods Inc. - Hillshire Brands
Funding for the P2 Intern Program includes federal grants, portions of solid waste tonnage fees, and cost share contributed by the host companies.
Pollution Prevention Services also provides confidential, non-regulatory technical assistance in the form of assessments, infrared thermographic analysis, development assistance for Environmental Management Systems, workshops, an equipment loan program, and access to an electronic library of technical resources. These services are offered at no cost to help companies reduce expenses through source-reduction strategies to improve process efficiency and reduce or eliminate waste.
For more information on the Pollution Prevention Intern Program and a list of 2023 projects, visit: www.iowap2interns.com. Case summaries of the 2023 projects will be posted to this site in the fall.
MEDIA CONTACT: Angie Clark at Angie.Clark@dnr.iowa.gov.
DES MOINES— The Environmental Protection Commission will meet in Des Moines, Iowa on Tuesday, June 20.
The meeting starts at 10 a.m. at the Wallace State Office Building, located at 502 E. 9th Street in Des Moines, IA 50319. The public can also attend via video conference or by phone. To join by video, connect with https://meet.google.com/rzo-uidn-tvg. To join by phone, call 631-618-4607, and enter the PIN code of 484 733 354 followed by the pound (#) sign. The meeting is open to the public. Written comments may be submitted up to one day before the meeting to Angie Clark at Angie.Clark@dnr.iowa.gov or to Angie Clark at DNR, 502 E. Ninth St., Des Moines, IA 50319.
Commissioners will be asked to approve the grant recommendations for the Clean Water and Drinking Water State Revolving Loan Fund, among other grants and contracts.
The action items for the meeting:
- Grant Funding for two Environmental Management System (EMS) Proposals (Packet Page 10)
- Contract with The University of Northern Iowa, Iowa Waste Reduction Center (Packet Page 12)
- Grant Agreement Amendment with Region XII Council of Governments-Iowa Waste Exchange (Packet Page 14)
- Clean Water and Drinking Water State Revolving Loan Fund-FY2023 Intended Use Plan (Packet Page 18)
- Contract with the State Hygienic Laboratory at The University of Iowa-2024 SHL Services in Support of the DNR Air Quality Bureau (Packet Page 100)
- Contract with Linn County-Air Quality 28E Agreement (Packet Page 109)
- Contract with Polk County-Air Quality 28E Agreement (Packet Page 117)
- Contract with the University of Northern Iowa-Air Emissions Assistance Program (Packet Page 124)
Find the complete agenda and more information under the Environmental Protection Commission section of the DNR’s website.
Commissioners include: Harold Hommes, chair, Windsor Heights; Amy Echard, secretary, Farmersburg; Brad Bleam, Rockwell City; Rebecca Dostal, Traer; Patricia Foley, Huxley; Lisa Gochenour, Logan; Roger Zylstra, Lynneville; and Mark Stutsman, Hills. Kayla Lyon is the DNR director.
Any person participating in the public meeting who has special requirements such as those related to mobility or hearing impairments should contact the DNR or ADA Coordinator at 515-725-8200, Relay Iowa TTY Service 800-735-7942, or Webmaster@dnr.iowa.gov, and advise of specific needs.
MEDIA CONTACT: Marnie Stein, at 515-238-1887 or Marnie.Stein@dnr.iowa.gov for Title V permits; or Peter Zayudis, at 515-201-4596 or Peter.Zayudis@dnr.iowa.gov for Construction permits.
DES MOINES – The DNR Air Quality Bureau has the following draft permits up for review. The permits help protect Iowans’ health and the air where we live. DNR’s permitting staff review the applications to ensure facilities comply with state and federal air quality standards. The public has the right and is encouraged to comment on draft permits. DNR considers public comments before finalizing the permits. Submit comments in writing to the assigned permit writer before 4:30 p.m. on the last day of the comment period.
Title V Operating Permits
Title V Operating permits are reviewed and re-issued every five years. Facilities with a Title V permit have the potential to emit large amounts of air pollutants compared to other facilities. The five-year reviews are a federal requirement and ensure adequate monitoring is included in the permit. The DNR plans to issue Title V Operating Permits for the following facilities. Find permit details at www.iowadnr.gov/titlev-draft OR through the Iowa EASY Air Public Inquiry Portal and then click on the Public Notice tab.
Warren County Indianola Municipal Utilities located at 111 S Buxton St., Indianola. The application was submitted to operate their existing Electric Services facility. The public comment period ends July 8.
Construction Permits
DNR engineers review and issue construction permits to facilities before they build new or modify existing sources of air pollution. The public may review the following air quality construction permits available online at www.iowadnr.gov/airpermitsearch OR through the EASY Air Public Inquiry Portal and then click the Public Notice tab.
Cerro Gordo County Golden Grain Energy, LLC – 1822 43rd Street SW, Mason City. Project No. 23-142. The facility proposes to complete efficiency upgrades to the Heat Recovery portion of a thermal oxidizer, replace the control equipment on the DDGS Cooler System and replace two hammermills.
The public comment period ends July 14.
MEDIA CONTACT: Tamara McIntosh, DNR, at 515-725-8242 or Tamara.Mcintosh@dnr.iowa.gov
DES MOINES – DNR staff work with individuals, businesses and communities to help them protect our natural resources by complying with state and federal laws. This approach is very effective. In the few cases where compliance cannot be achieved, the DNR issues enforcement actions. The following list summarizes recent enforcement actions. Find the entire, original orders on DNR’s website at www.iowadnr.gov/EnforcementActions
Consent Orders A consent order is issued as an alternative to issuing an administrative order. A consent order indicates that the DNR has voluntarily entered into a legally enforceable agreement with the other party.
Washington County
LVA Crawfordsville BioFuel, LLC dba W2Fuel Crawfordsville
Provide notice prior to restarting the distillation process; within 60 days of restarting distillation process, conduct stack testing; calculate the Total Resources Effectiveness (TRE) for biodiesel process and operate at a TRE of 8.0 or greater; if the plant is sold and the new owner intends to operate the distillation process, notify the new owner of the administrative order requirements and contractually arrange for compliance.
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