Des Moines Register Staff Blogs » Enviroscribe: Iowa Environmental News

Flood closes George Wyth State Park in Waterloo

Perry Beeman — Thu, 23 May 2013 18:53:43 +0000

George Wyth State Park in Waterloo is closed again for flooding, though the closure may not last through the full holiday weekend. Refunds will be offered for rentals. Here’s the full statement from the Iowa Department of Natural Resources: FLOODWATERS CLOSE GEORGE WYTH STATE PARK FOR MEMORIAL DAY WEEKEND WATERLOO – George Wyth State [...]

Western Iowa drought continues to fade slowly

Perry Beeman — Thu, 23 May 2013 13:05:48 +0000

Western Iowa’s drought conditions continued slow improvement through Tuesday, leaving 64.5 percent of the state drought-free, the U.S. Drought Monitor reported Thursday. That was a three percentage point improvement from the week before. That leaves 35.5 percent of the state, all in western counties, either abnormally dry or in some stage of drought. That was [...]

Groups: Congress should spend less on crop insurance, more on conservation, nutrition

Perry Beeman — Fri, 17 May 2013 19:10:32 +0000

Congress should use the final hours of debate on the next Farm Bill to limit spending on crop insurance and shovel more money to conservation programs, advocacy groups said. The Lyons, Neb.-based Center for Rural Affairs, in a meeting with Des Moines Register reporters and editors, on Friday said efforts to limit single farms’ aid [...]

State to resume bacteria testing at beach swimming areas

Perry Beeman — Thu, 16 May 2013 17:11:56 +0000

Here are the plans for summer beach swimming area testing, from the Iowa Department of Natural Resources: MONITORING SET TO RESUME AT STATE PARK BEACHES MEDIA CONTACT: Jason McCurdy, DNR, at 319-335-1571 or jason.mccurdy@dnr.iowa.gov DES MOINES — As Iowans begin to think about visiting state park beaches this summer, the DNR is beginning its [...]

Drought conditions ease slightly, western Iowa remains dry

Perry Beeman — Thu, 16 May 2013 12:42:23 +0000

Drought conditions eased only slightly in the last week in Iowa, with the western part of the state still dry. The U.S. Drought Monitor reported that through Tuesday, 39 percent of Iowa was either dry or in drought, down from 42 percent the week before. The National Weather Service predicts conditions will continue to improve [...]

Coulter farm fertilizer spill kills fish, pollutes more than five miles of stream

Perry Beeman — Tue, 14 May 2013 20:35:08 +0000

The Iowa Department of Natural Resources has reported a fish kill near Coulter, 24 hours after the spill. Here’s the full release: COULTER – An estimated 800 gallons of 28 percent liquid nitrogen fertilizer spilled at a Franklin County farm supply in Coulter Monday about 5 p.m. The spill occurred as an employee [...]

Iowa crop planting still way behind

Perry Beeman — Mon, 13 May 2013 20:19:38 +0000

Iowa farmers had planted 15 percent of the corn crop through Sunday, far below normal. In an average year, 79 percent of the crop would be planted, but wet and chilly conditions have delayed planting across the state, the U.S. Department of Agriculture reported Monday. Still, USDA predicts a bin-buster crop this year, banking on [...]

Record nitrate levels in Raccoon, Des Moines threaten Des Moines-area tap water

Perry Beeman — Fri, 10 May 2013 17:55:42 +0000

Des Moines Water Works turned on the world’s largest nitrate-removal facility Friday morning for the first time since 2007 after levels of health-threatening nitrates hit records in both the Des Moines and Raccoon rivers, two of the main drinking-water sources. The predicament shows that voluntary conservation efforts on farms aren’t working and do not bode [...]

MidAmerican Energy still mum on new wind-turbine sites

Perry Beeman — Thu, 09 May 2013 18:41:55 +0000

MidAmerican Energy on Thursday said it will announce the locations of up to 656 new wind turbines in coming weeks, along with the name of a vendor and contractor for the $1.9 billion project, the largest economic development investment in the state’s history. The investor-owned utility announced the plans Wednesday at a press conference led [...]

Drought eases, but western Iowa still dry

Perry Beeman — Thu, 09 May 2013 13:23:10 +0000

Iowa’s drought continued to ease through Tuesday, leaving less than 42 percent of the state either abnormally dry or in drought. The drought now is limited to western Iowa counties, mostly the northwest corner but also running down the Missouri River Valley a bit. The areas considered dry or in drought dropped 12 percentage points [...]

Farmers struggle to get in fields, just 8 percent of corn planted

Perry Beeman — Mon, 06 May 2013 20:15:04 +0000

The U.S. Department of Agriculture on Monday reported that Iowa farmers managed to plant 8 percent of the corn crop by Sunday, far below average. Over the past five years, Iowans had planted 56 percent of the corn by this date, on average. Wet, cold conditions have delayed the work. Warmer and drier conditions Monday [...]

Utah miners picket MidAmerican Energy over health, safety issues

Perry Beeman — Fri, 03 May 2013 19:03:41 +0000

A busload of miners and retired colleagues on Friday picketed outside the Ruan Center, home of Utah mine owner MidAmerican Energy. The members of United Mine Workers of America work at Deer Creek mine near Huntington, Utah. The mine is run by MidAmerican, a subsidiary of Warren Buffet’s Berkshire Hathaway. The protesters picketed during MidAmerican’s [...]

DNR: Most streams now running normally as drought eases

Perry Beeman — Thu, 02 May 2013 20:53:52 +0000

The Iowa Department of Natural Resources on Thursday reported that most streams across the state are running normally after record April rainfall eased drought conditions. Roughly the eastern half of the state is drought-free, while western Iowa still is dry, DNR said in its latest water report. The statewide April average of 6.52 inches. [...]

Drought conditions unchanged, western Iowa still dry

Perry Beeman — Thu, 02 May 2013 12:56:12 +0000

After weeks of steady improvement, drought conditions in Iowa remained unchanged in the week that ended Tuesday, the U.S. Drought Monitor reported. Nearly 54 percent of the state, generally in western counties, remained either abnormally dry or in drought. Three months ago, the whole state was. The Drought Monitor reported that, generally, conditions continue to [...]

DNR launches online guide to 1,600 fun spots, offers prizes

Perry Beeman — Tue, 30 Apr 2013 16:51:43 +0000

The Iowa Department of Natural Resources on Tuesday announced a new online guide to 1,600 outdoor recreation spots in Iowa, searchable by county and by activity. If you get outside and use one, you’ll be eligible for prize drawings. The more you do, tracking your activities online, the more chance you have of winning a [...]

Drought continues to ease in most of state; forecast calls for more improvement

Perry Beeman — Thu, 25 Apr 2013 14:53:39 +0000

The steady march of more normal soil and water conditions moved even farther west in the past week, the U.S. Drought Monitor reported Thursday. Roughly the western half of the state, 53 percent of the acres, are abnormally dry or in drought of one stage or another. Just 6.4 percent of the state is in [...]

Branstad signs controversial bill to aid Lake Delhi dam reconstruction

Perry Beeman — Wed, 24 Apr 2013 22:56:29 +0000

Gov. Terry Branstad on Wednesday signed a bill that his own top environmental official warned would put taxpayers on the hook for flood damages when Lake Delhi is restored. “This will allow Iowans to have access to this lake, including through public access means, for recreational enjoyment for years to come,” Branstad wrote in his [...]

Cedar Falls pipe break sends sewage over bike trail

Perry Beeman — Wed, 24 Apr 2013 19:22:08 +0000

A break in a sewer line Tuesday sent sewage across a bike trail in Cedar Falls, the Iowa Department of Natural Resources reported. Authorities said people and pets should avoid the trail between Park Drive to Grand Avenue for two days. A main in a lift station broke, spilling 1,000 to 2,000 gallons. Investigators couldn’t [...]

BPI to pay $450,000 for fatal ammonia leak at now-closed Waterloo plant

Perry Beeman — Tue, 23 Apr 2013 18:17:43 +0000

Beef Products Inc. has agreed to pay a $450,000 fine to settle charges stemming from a fatal anhydrous ammonia release at its now-closed Waterloo plant, the Environmental Protection Agency announced today. The leak killed one worker and permanently disabled another in 2007. They were trapped after 1,000 pounds of anhydrous ammonia leaked. BPI had ordered [...]

Drought gone in eastern Iowa, eases in northwest

Perry Beeman — Thu, 18 Apr 2013 12:40:59 +0000

Some areas in the Missouri River counties and the northwest corner of the state remain in severe drought, despite heavy rain over the past week or so. The U.S. Drought Monitor, released early Thursday morning, does not include rain that fell after 6 a.m. Tuesday. Nearly the entire eastern half of the state is now [...]

Student, senator, activists: Congress should act on climate change

Perry Beeman — Wed, 17 Apr 2013 22:22:55 +0000

About 60 people turned out for a Statehouse rotunda rally calling on governments to address climate change. Among the speakers was 14-year-old Glori Dei Fillipone of Des Moines, who sued the state after the Iowa Department of Natural Resources declined her petition asking the state to limit greenhouse gas emissions, a case she plans [...]

Iowa Natural Heritage Foundation to get new president; Ackelson to step down

Perry Beeman — Tue, 16 Apr 2013 20:51:22 +0000

Mark Ackelson is stepping down as president of the nonprofit Iowa Natural Heritage Foundation, where he has worked in various roles since the conservation and preservation group formed in 1979. Ackelson, 68, will stay on as president emeritus, working on special projects. A top lieutenant, Joe McGovern, will become the organization’s third president. McGovern, who [...]

Grain Processing Corp. agrees to pay $129,000 fine for water pollution

Perry Beeman — Tue, 16 Apr 2013 16:37:00 +0000

Muscatine, Ia. — Grain Processing Corp. of Muscatine has agreed to pay a $129,000 fine for Clean Water Act violations that included excessive pollution and failure to complete proper testing, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced Tuesday. EPA on July 29, 2011, ordered the plant to correct the issues. The plant had violated permit limits [...]

Rain improves soil conditions, keeps farmers out of field

Perry Beeman — Mon, 15 Apr 2013 20:46:04 +0000

Steady rain improved crop field moisture over the past week, but also made it hard for farmers to get into fields, the U.S. Department of Agriculture reported. Topsoil moisture levels rated 7 percent very short, 19 percent short, 65 percent adequate and 9 percent surplus. Subsoil moisture still was worse off, with 27 percent very [...]

Iowa Interfaith Power & Light sets climate change discussion

Perry Beeman — Mon, 15 Apr 2013 15:20:44 +0000

The nonprofit Iowa Interfaith Power & Light will host a keynote speaker on climate change at a reception April 21 at Jester Park. The “Climate of Hope” reception will feature Matthew Anderson, executive director of the National Religious Partnership for the Environment, and representatives of the Church of the Resurrection in Dubuque. The church was [...]

Update: Rain is heaviest since June 2011; drought eases

Perry Beeman — Thu, 11 Apr 2013 13:50:39 +0000

This week’s rain was the biggest since June 2011 and most likely will lessen the drought significantly across Iowa, the state climatologist said. The rain that fell Sunday night through 7 a.m. Thursday would eclipse even the weekly totals going back to that June, said Harry Hillaker of the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land [...]

Infamous Minnesota Vikings sex boat to cruise Iowa Great Lakes

Perry Beeman — Mon, 08 Apr 2013 17:20:59 +0000

Colorful Okoboji area marina operator Butch Parks has bought one of the boats at the center of a 2005 Minnesota Vikings sex scandal and will offer cruises on the family friendly Iowa Great Lakes. The fully restored boat will offer drinks, dinner, and great views, but none of the racy activities some of the Vikings [...]

Meeting on plans for Easter Lake Park is this evening

Janet Klockenga — Wed, 27 Mar 2013 14:52:22 +0000

The Polk County Conservation Board is holding a public meeting tonight regarding projects included in the master plan for Easter Lake Park on the city’s southeast side. The meeting will be at 6:30 p.m. at the Southside Senior Center,

Brooklyn farm couple lauded for being kind to neighbors, environment

Perry Beeman — Fri, 15 Mar 2013 15:03:26 +0000

A Brooklyn couple’s conservation work and neighborliness has resulted in a state award. Here’s the full release from Agriculture Secretary Bill Northey: KENNY AND DIANE CADDEN OF POWESHIEK COUNTY NAMED WERGIN GOOD FARM NEIGHBOR AWARD WINNER Award to be presented on March 27 at the Cadden Farm near Brooklyn DES MOINES – Iowa Secretary [...]

Army Corps to bump up releases to Missouri River to support barging

Perry Beeman — Tue, 12 Mar 2013 16:41:55 +0000

Here’s the latest from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers on the prospects the Missouri River will have enough water to support barging this season. The Corps plans to increase releases from Gavins Point Dam to help. That should keep barges moving the first half the season, after which the agency will check to see [...]

Iowa’s Duane Arnold nuclear plant passes NRC safety exam

Perry Beeman — Thu, 07 Mar 2013 20:43:04 +0000

Iowa’s only nuclear plant, Duane Arnold in Palo, received top rankings in its latest annual safety assessment by the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission. The bottom line, according to NRC: “The NRC determined that overall, Duane Arnold Energy Center operated in a manner that preserved public health and safety and met all cornerstone objectives. The NRC determined [...]

Iowa scores above normal precipitation for second month, but streams, aquifers still suffer

Perry Beeman — Thu, 07 Mar 2013 20:21:44 +0000

Iowa is getting more precipitation, but the drought still leaves us with weak-running streams and underground water supplies near record lows. Here’s today’s full press release from the Iowa Department of Natural Resources: DES MOINES—For the second month in a row Iowa’s had above normal precipitation, but streamflow conditions are worse and shallow [...]

Update: Ancient meteorite strike at Decorah could affect water supplies in future

Perry Beeman — Tue, 05 Mar 2013 22:00:05 +0000

Scientists using high-tech gadgets have confirmed that Decorah is home to one of Iowa’s two known meteorite craters, a 3.5-mile-wide gouge that could muck up the college town’s water supply in the future. The crater roughly 700 feet below ground was formed 470 million years ago when Iowa was dry land near the equator. After [...]

Vocal Democrats exit state environmental panel as Governor Branstad nominates son for seat

Perry Beeman — Fri, 01 Mar 2013 17:56:40 +0000

Iowa Gov. Terry Branstad has nominated his son, Marcus, to the Iowa Natural Resource Commission. Marcus, a West Des Moines resident who grew up in Terrace Hill during his father’s first stint as governor, is an avid hunter. He showed up at the governor’s annual pardoning of turkeys during last fall’s Thanksgiving observance wearing full [...]

Iowa Senate Democrats call for $20 million for REAP; Iowa Environmental Council sets goals

Perry Beeman — Tue, 26 Feb 2013 23:01:41 +0000

Iowa Senate Democrats on Tuesday called for the Legislature to fully fund the Resources Enhancement and Protection program, or REAP, at $20 million. Gov. Terry Branstad budgeted $12 million. Sen. Robert Dvorsky of Coralville told members of various conservation and environmental groups at the Statehouse that he believes the money is available to fully fund [...]

Senate panel advances sales tax for conservation, recreation

Perry Beeman — Tue, 26 Feb 2013 15:45:21 +0000

An Iowa Senate subcommittee on Tuesday endorsed a sales-tax incease to raise money for outdoor recreation and conservation projects. Three Democrats led by chairman Dick Dearden of Des Moines sent the the measure, Senate Study Bill 1117, to the full Senate Natural Resources and Environment Committee. The two Republicans on the subcommittee declined to endorse [...]

Iowa Primate Learning Sanctuary, Des Moines ape center, resumes public tours

Perry Beeman — Fri, 22 Feb 2013 19:32:31 +0000

The Iowa Primate Learning Sanctuary, formerly Great Ape Trust, has delivered on its promise to resume public tours this year. The most recent full round of public tours were in 2009. The visits run about an hour and a half and are available only through online reservations. The center in southeast Des Moines, near Easter [...]

NOAA: No clear sign drought will end

Perry Beeman — Thu, 21 Feb 2013 21:34:49 +0000

The latest three-month weather forecast holds little hope Iowa’s drought will ease soon. Forecasters from the federal Climate Prediction Center say it’s a coin flip whether the western half of the state will get more precipitation than normal through May. And there’s a moderate chance it may be warmer than usual, which would worsen the [...]

Lawmaker: Rastetter email on behalf of biofuels industry threatens academic freedom at U of I

Perry Beeman — Tue, 19 Feb 2013 20:43:38 +0000

A key state lawmaker and a veteran University of Iowa professor says Board of Regents member Bruce Rastetter encroached on academic freedom at the University of Iowa when he asked the university president to intervene on behalf of the biofuels industry last month. Iowa Sen. Herman Quirmbach, an Ames Democrat, called Rastetter’s email to U [...]

DNR: Drought expected to force water conservation in parts of Iowa this summer

Perry Beeman — Thu, 14 Feb 2013 21:05:03 +0000

Customers of some water systems in Iowa, particularly in northwest counties, are likely to be asked to conserve water this summer because supplies in places won’t meet demand as drought persists, a key staffer at the Iowa Department of Natural Resources told state lawmakers Thursday. It’s possible even mandatory measures might be considered if spring [...]

Principal declares namesake, long-awaited Riverwalk open

Perry Beeman — Thu, 31 Jan 2013 19:35:57 +0000

The Principal Financial Group on Thursday declared the $70 million-plus Principal Riverwalk open and ready for bicyclists, walkers, runners, and later this spring, diners. The Hub Spot’s cafe near Court Avenue on the 1.2-mile loop trail should open later this spring, Principal announced. The financial firm that spearheaded and helped bankroll the massive riverfront rejuvenation [...]

Altoona session kicks of Tomorrow Plan public meetings Tuesday evening

Perry Beeman — Mon, 28 Jan 2013 16:28:17 +0000

The first of six open houses to discuss the draft Tomorrow Plan vision and strategy document will be held from 5 to 7 p.m. Tuesday at the Altoona Fire Station. Tomorrow Plan is a vision and tone-setting planning report covering 17 Polk County cities, rural Polk County, and parts of Warren, Madison and Dallas counties. [...]

State panel approves new environmental enforcement blueprint

Perry Beeman — Tue, 15 Jan 2013 22:30:18 +0000

The Iowa Environmental Protection Commission unanimously approved a new system of environmental enforcement actions Tuesday. The Iowa Department of Natural Resources says the new rules simply codify how DNR handles enforcement in various situations, in an effort to make the rules more clear for business and residents. They were written with the help of the [...]

CCI, AFSCME berate Branstad, call for more aid for the middle class

Perry Beeman — Tue, 15 Jan 2013 19:33:39 +0000

About 250 community activists and union members chastised Gov. Terry Branstad as strode to give his annual “Condition of the State” address Tuesday, accusing him of kowtowing to corporate interests at the expense of the middle class. Iowa Citizens for Community Improvement teamed up with Iowa Federation of Labor, Iowa AFSCME and Iowa Teamsters, giving [...]

Governor’s agriculture department budget request holds steady

Perry Beeman — Tue, 15 Jan 2013 18:41:08 +0000

For all the power of the agriculture lobby in Iowa, the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship routinely gets less than 1 percent of the state’s general fund cash, as does the Iowa Department of Natural Resources. This time around, Gov. Terry Branstad offered IDALS $500,000 less than it requested for 2013-14 and $1 [...]

Branstad budget: DNR gains inspectors, parks money, loses dam safety cash

Perry Beeman — Tue, 15 Jan 2013 18:11:59 +0000

Iowa Gov. Terry Branstad proposed a flat general fund budget for the Iowa Department of Natural Resources. But including all sources of cash, he moved to hire more DNR livestock confinement inspectors and offered state parks an extra $3.1 million, but cut the entire $1 million dam-safety budget. Iowa Department of Natural Resources Actual 2012 [...]

Gov. Branstad calls for five additional livestock confinement inspectors; DNR asked for 13

Perry Beeman — Tue, 15 Jan 2013 16:09:27 +0000

Gov. Terry Branstad has included $500,000 n his 2013-14 budget proposal to hire five more livestock confinement inspectors after the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency harshly criticized the Iowa Department of Natural Resource’s enforcement efforts last summer. DNR had asked for 13 more inspectors. Environmental groups said that would merely return the state to staffing levels [...]

Farm Bureau supports voluntary conservation, limited administrative rules as Legislature convenes

Perry Beeman — Mon, 14 Jan 2013 16:32:49 +0000

The Iowa Farm Bureau Federation includes environmental policies in its 2013 legislative, including support for science-based, voluntary efforts to cut fertilizer runoff. The group also wants to restrict the rule-making power of state departments and appointed boards and commissions. Here is the full press release: FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE PROPERTY TAX REFORM, WATER QUALITY AND INFRASTRUCTURE [...]

Iowa CCI rally at Statehouse to feature union officials, Senate president

Perry Beeman — Mon, 14 Jan 2013 16:07:19 +0000

Iowa Citizens for Community Improvement has added top union officials and Senate President Pam Jochum to its lineup of speakers for its “Money Out, People In” day-long rally and meetings at the Statehouse Tuesday. The event, an annual sojourn for CCI members, has added drama this year. In addition to laying out nonprofit’s agenda for [...]

New National Climate Assessment cites more severe weather, longer droughts

Perry Beeman — Fri, 11 Jan 2013 21:30:11 +0000

The latest National Climate Assessment notes that severe weather has ramped up in the last 50 years, including longer droughts. The report notes that people across the globe already are feeling the effects of climate change. “Over the last 50 years, much of the U.S. has seen an increase in prolonged stretches of excessively high [...]