(C) Iowa Capital Dispatch
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State fines several companies and a city for construction pollution [1]
['Jared Strong', 'More From Author', '- October']
Date: 2022-10-17
The Iowa Department of Natural Resources has levied fines against three companies and the city of Altoona for operating construction sites without proper controls to keep soil from eroding into nearby areas and creeks.
Soil erosion is a major problem in Iowa, notably for farmers who lose topsoil from their fields. But soil is also a problematic polluter of streams for decreasing their water clarity and making them more shallow.
Four construction sites that were required to contain erosion were recently the subject of DNR fines, according to the department’s records. They were:
The city of Altoona: $4,000
Altoona’s project to rebuild Eighth Street SW from U.S. Highway 65 to Prairie Meadows Drive had no erosion controls to protect the tributary of a nearby creek when the DNR evaluated the site in May 2022.
It had stormwater intakes that were covered with a filtering sock that had failed. Several other stormwater intakes were completely plugged with sediment.
There were no erosion controls to protect nearby streets, and the DNR noted sediment on a street and a parking lot. Further, work had been idled at the site and no temporary erosion controls had been installed.
Stormwater from the site flows into a tributary of Little Four Mile Creek. It was unclear in DNR documents which company was doing the construction work.
Hudson Heights LLC, Van Meter: $5,000
Stormwater from the housing development south of Van Meter flows into a tributary of the Raccoon River.
In March 2022 when a DNR officer evaluated the site, there were no erosion controls installed before work ceased for the winter. There were three piles of topsoil without the controls.
A tube of compost was meant to prevent erosion into the creek but it had failed, and sediment and fill dirt was observed in the creek in May.
Jon Sieck, Van Meter: $4,000
Sieck was fined for failing to control erosion from a 20-acre residential development, where stormwater flows to a detention pond and then to a tributary of the Raccoon River.
In March 2022, a DNR officer noted that most of the sediment controls were in need of repair. A significant amount of sediment had eroded into Trindle Park.
There was damage to silt fencing and “extremely steep” terrain that didn’t have erosion controls, the DNR reported. A stormwater intake was full of sediment, and it appeared the site hadn’t been temporarily stabilized prior to a winter shutdown of work.
Steger Construction, Indianola: $4,000
Stormwater from the 20-acre housing development flows into a tributary of Plug Run.
When the DNR evaluated the site in January 2022, most of its erosion controls were failing, there was significant tracking of sediment from vehicles off site, and stormwater intakes were completely full of sediment.
In a follow-up evaluation in February, the site lacked perimeter erosion controls, and there were three piles of soil that were not stabilized.
The DNR noted a sediment trail from the site to a nearby stream along with sediment in the stream itself.
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