Three environmental organizations filed a legal challenge against Iowa’s Department of Natural Resources regarding permits issued for the Ottumwa coal ash landfill, which processes waste from a coal-burning power plant operated jointly by Alliant Energy and MidAmerican Energy. The groups—Iowa Environmental Council, Environmental Law and Policy Center, and Sierra Club—contend that the permits authorize hazardous disposal practices that contaminate groundwater and surface waters, creating health risks for nearby residents and ecosystems.
Coal ash, a byproduct of coal combustion, contains toxic heavy metals including arsenic, mercury, and lead. The lawsuit centers on leachate, which forms when precipitation filters through coal ash and absorbs these hazardous materials. Federal limits on coal ash discharges were established in 2024, requiring facilities to cease leachate discharge “as soon as possible.” The plaintiffs argue that the state-issued permits fail to incorporate these federal standards and include no timeline for ending the discharge.
The environmental groups also challenge the facility’s discharge of groundwater contaminated with heavy metals. Under the Clean Water Act, dischargers must evaluate treatment alternatives to minimize water quality degradation and provide justification for any permitted degradation. According to the lawsuit, previous analyses failed to consider feasible treatment options and lacked adequate justification for the degradation being permitted. Although Alliant identified multiple treatment approaches, it pursued only iron removal rather than addressing other contaminants. Currently, waste is transported to the city’s wastewater treatment facility, with no announced plans for constructing a comprehensive treatment system.
The environmental organizations have advocated for incorporating the federal discharge limits into the permits since 2024, hosting public meetings in Ottumwa in both 2024 and 2025 to allow residents to voice concerns to state regulators.
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