Iowa environmental groups filed suit against the state's Department of Natural Resources over permits authorizing hazardous disposal at the Ottumwa coal ash landfill. The facility processes waste from the Ottumwa coal-burning power plant, jointly owned by Alliant Energy and MidAmerican Energy.
The lawsuit targets the DNR's approval of disposal practices that allow toxic metals to discharge into Iowa's groundwater. Coal ash, the residue left after burning coal for electricity, contains arsenic, selenium, mercury, and other heavy metals that accumulate over decades of power plant operation.
The Ottumwa facility stores ash from one of Iowa's largest coal generators. Leachate from improperly managed coal ash landfills regularly contaminates water supplies, posing health risks to nearby communities. The Environmental Protection Agency classifies coal ash as a solid waste, though it contains substances at concentrations that would qualify as hazardous if regulated as industrial waste under federal law.
The plaintiffs argue the state permits fail to meet federal Clean Water Act standards and Iowa's groundwater protection rules. They contend the DNR approved the discharge without adequate monitoring or containment measures to prevent metals from reaching drinking water aquifers.
Coal ash disposal remains contentious across the country. The EPA has issued guidance on managing coal ash ponds, but regulation remains fragmented between federal and state oversight. Several states have tightened rules following contamination incidents. North Carolina faced major liability after a 2014 spill of toxic coal ash slurry into the Dan River.
The Ottumwa case reflects broader pressure on utilities to address coal plant legacies as the grid shifts toward renewables. Alliant Energy and MidAmerican Energy operate numerous coal facilities across the Midwest. Both companies have committed to carbon reduction targets, though coal ash remediation at existing plants remains separate from decarbonization tim