(C) Iowa Capital Dispatch
This story was originally published by Iowa Capital Dispatch and is unaltered.
. . . . . . . . . .
Developers fined for stormwater runoff at construction sites [1]
['Jared Strong', 'More From Author', '- November']
Date: 2023-11-07
A Bettendorf company that is constructing a large golf entertainment venue was recently fined $6,000 for failing to control stormwater runoff and soil erosion at the site, according to the Iowa Department of Natural Resources.
FG80 Holdings is among three companies that the DNR fined in recent weeks for allowing contaminated stormwater to flow into state waterways.
The company is constructing its Iron Tee Golf facility — which will boast three floors and 58 climate-controlled driving range bays — on the north side of the city near Interstate Highway 80.
Bettendorf is in the process of rebuilding the area to be a new gateway to the city, and Iron Tee is expected to open next year.
In July 2022, the DNR inspected FG80’s site and found erosion controls that had been overcome by soil, according to a recent department order. In one area, sediment had flowed out of a basin meant to contain it, but a grassy area stopped the soil from eroding farther.
At the time, the DNR did not issue a notice of violation but recommended ways to remedy the erosion.
But in April 2023, the department again inspected the site and noted three sediment basins with significant erosion. Much of the construction site had been seeded with grass that did not grow.
And multiple rows of silt fence had been overwhelmed with eroded soil in two steep areas. In one of the areas, soil eroded into Spencer Creek. In the other, sediment was noted in a grass waterway that leads to a tributary of the creek.
Evidence that soil erosion from construction sites has reached waterways often triggers DNR fines.
“Sedimentation of Iowa’s waterways is a serious problem, and regulatory agencies have recognized that uncontrolled runoff is a significant contributor to these problems,” the DNR order said.
FG80 hired a company to fix the erosion problems, and the DNR noted in May 2023 “significant improvement in the sediment and erosion controls.”
Other recent fines
The DNR also levied the following fines:
Crimson Development of Adel — $7,000: Crimson was cited for failing to control erosion at its construction site at Livingston Estates — a rural housing development northeast of Adel that has two cul-de-sacs and 21 lots of at least three acres apiece.
During an inspection in October 2022, the department documented that paving of the roadways has begun but there were no erosion controls, according to a DNR order. There was a path of erosion that led toward a tributary of Hickory Creek.
In a subsequent inspection in May 2023, the department noted numerous inadequate or failed erosion controls. Further, a pipe that had been installed to drain water from the foundation of one lot discharged directly into a tributary of the nearby North Raccoon River, and there was evidence of soil erosion into the creek tributary.
Crimson agreed to pay the fine and to comply with state regulations.
Douds Stone of Ottumwa — $6,950: Douds has a stone quarry in rural Keswick, and in June 2023, someone reported to the DNR that it was discharging contaminated stormwater into the South English River, according to a department order.
The department found whitish stormwater was flowing from the quarry into a ditch that goes to the river. The DNR also noted that Douds’ permit to discharge into the state’s waterways had lapsed.
Douds agreed to pay the fine, obtain a new permit and comply with state regulations.
[END]
---
[1] Url:
https://iowacapitaldispatch.com/2023/11/07/developers-fined-for-stormwater-runoff-at-construction-sites/
Published and (C) by Iowa Capital Dispatch
Content appears here under this condition or license: Creative Commons CC BY-ND-NC 4.0.
via Magical.Fish Gopher News Feeds:
gopher://magical.fish/1/feeds/news/iowacapitaldispatch/
