“This settlement is a victory for air quality and public health in Iowa,” said Assistant Attorney General John C. Cruden for the Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division. “This agreement will cover all of Interstate’s coal-burning facilities in Iowa, requiring new pollution cutting technology and environmental projects to enhance air quality in surrounding communities, among other lasting benefits.”
“The emissions reductions required by this settlement will lead to cleaner air and significant environmental and public health benefits for Iowans,” said U.S. Attorney Kevin W. Techau for the Northern District of Iowa. “This settlement will eliminate thousands of tons of harmful air pollution each year significantly improving air quality in Iowa and throughout the Midwest. The agreement demonstrates the Department of Justice’s strong efforts, along with EPA, to bring large sources of air pollution into compliance with the Clean Air Act.”
“To serve the communities in which they operate, power plants must protect clean air for those living nearby,” said Cynthia Giles, assistant administrator for EPA’s Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance. “This case delivers on the goals of EPA’s national enforcement initiative to reduce air pollution from the largest sources. By installing new equipment and funding mitigation projects, Interstate Power & Light can help conserve energy and cut pollution in communities across Iowa.”
Under the settlement, Interstate Power and Light will install and continuously operate new and existing pollution control technology at its two largest plants in Lansing and Ottumwa, Iowa, and will retire or convert to cleaner-burning natural gas its remaining five plants in Burlington, Cedar Rapids, Clinton, Dubuque, and Marshalltown, Iowa. The new, state-of-the-art pollution controls required by the settlement are expected to cost approximately $620 million. EPA estimates that the settlement will reduce sulfur dioxide (SO2) emissions by 32,500 tons per year and nitrogen oxide (NOx) emissions by 3,800 tons per year once the settlement is fully implemented.
Interstate Power and Light will also be required to spend $6 million on environmental mitigation projects. The company will choose from five potential projects, including solar energy and anaerobic digester installations, replacing coal-fired boilers at schools with lower-emission equipment, an alternative fuel vehicle replacement program and a residential program to change out wood burning stoves and fireplaces.
SO2 and NOx, two predominant pollutants emitted from power plants, have numerous adverse effects on human health and are significant contributors to acid rain, smog and haze. These pollutants are converted in the air to particulate matter that can cause severe respiratory and cardiovascular impacts and premature death.
This settlement is part of EPA’s national enforcement initiative to control harmful emissions from large sources of pollution, which includes coal-fired power plants, under the Clean Air Act’s New Source Review requirements. The total combined SO2 and NOx emission reductions secured from all these settlements will exceed 2 million tons each year once all the required pollution controls have been installed and implemented.
The settlement was filed with the U.S. District Court for the Northern District Court of Iowa for 30 days to allow for public comment. The company is required to pay the penalty within 30 days after the court approves the settlement.
Someone will pay for this and it won’t be the power company. They will just raise their rates to cover it and the customer will suffer.
So this is why Alliant stock dropped 10 points a few months ago. I wish the government had ordered them to protect the power grid from an EMP attack so we in Iowa would survive an attack or a solar pulse. 90% of our population will die if our power grid is not protected.
@Anonie-I am not sure they know how to protect from a EMP.