LAKE MILLS — A Northern Iowa landfill operator has been hit with $30,000 in state penalties after Iowa environmental regulators documented repeated problems with uncovered waste and windblown garbage, including litter reaching neighboring property and a cattle shed.
Central Disposal Systems, Inc., which operates a municipal solid waste landfill at 21265 430th Street near Lake Mills, entered into three separate administrative consent orders with the Iowa Department of Natural Resources. Each carries a $10,000 penalty and requires the company to comply with Iowa solid waste laws and daily cover requirements.
The penalties concern violations tied to May 20, 2025, February 18, 2026 and February 20, 2026.
The enforcement comes as Winnebago County continues to face a broader set of environmental and development questions. NorthIowaToday.com recently reported that county officials are weighing new zoning rules for data centers, solar installations and battery fields, with concerns including water use, roads and electric rates:
https://northiowatoday.com/2026/09/29/winnebago-county-eyes-new-rules-for-data-centers-solar-and-battery-fields-as-officials-raise-water-road-and-electric-rate-concerns/
Trouble followed an earlier DNR order
The latest enforcement actions did not come out of nowhere.
Central Disposal and the state entered into an earlier administrative consent order on March 17, 2025 that already addressed, in part, violations involving daily cover requirements at the Lake Mills landfill.
That means the company had already been formally put on notice about daily cover before the May 2025 and February 2026 violations that ultimately triggered the latest penalties.
May inspection found uncovered active cells and trash blowing away
The May case provides particularly clear detail.
Central Disposal suspended landfill operations May 16, 2025 because wind speeds exceeded 40 mph. Three days later, the company deployed available litter-control workers to begin cleaning an adjacent property west of the landfill.
On May 20, Iowa DNR environmental specialist Madelynn Austin inspected the landfill.
As she drove toward the property, Austin observed off-site litter along nearby ditches and fields. At the landfill, she found two separate active cells that did not have sufficient daily cover and observed trash that had blown from the working faces.
Three days later, the DNR issued Central Disposal a Notice of Violation for failure to adequately apply daily cover, failure to control litter and violation of the company’s existing 2025 administrative consent order.
Iowa rules require landfill operators to use sufficient daily cover to control blowing litter and other hazards and require municipal landfills to minimize windblown litter leaving the site.
Neighbor complained garbage was reaching yard and cattle shed
Problems surfaced again in February 2026.
On February 18, DNR Field Office 2 received a complaint from landfill neighbor Mark Enderson, who alleged garbage from the facility was blowing into his yard and entering his cattle shed.
DNR personnel went to the area two days later. Enderson again alleged the landfill regularly failed to properly cover its working face and control litter.
State personnel saw three workers picking up garbage in a nearby field and observed off-site litter in ditches and fields near the landfill while traveling to the facility.
Once inside the landfill, regulators reported an extensive amount of litter away from the working face, including garbage around the facility’s stormwater retention pond.
NorthIowaToday.com has continued following Winnebago County government and environmental matters, including county spending, drainage work and local infrastructure issues:
https://northiowatoday.com/2026/08/19/winnebago-supervisors-authorize-up-to-957197-in-fund-transfers-approve-270039-in-bills/
Wind blamed for some of the litter
Central Disposal’s records showed workers were collecting litter daily, and landfill operator David Gutierrez told regulators that strong winds had recently made garbage difficult to contain.
Weather information cited in the DNR order showed sustained winds above 20 mph and gusts well above 30 mph from February 17 through February 20.
The landfill had approximately four-foot fencing around its working face, and Gutierrez told regulators the company had purchased poles and golf netting for a larger barrier on the east side of the property.
Landfill manager Dennis Davis acknowledged to investigators that the amount of litter was unacceptable and said the company would respond by adding more litter pickers, using a litter vacuum and installing the additional netting.
DNR reminded company six inches of cover was required
On February 23, Davis contacted the DNR and reported that the landfill’s southwest corner had been covered.
Austin reminded him that Iowa law requires a minimum of six inches of daily cover.
The DNR issued another Notice of Violation on March 3 for failure to adequately apply daily cover and control litter from the landfill.
A separate consent order tied to the February 20 violation recounts the same broader investigation and states that regulators again observed off-site litter along surrounding fields and ditches and extensive litter inside the facility.
State says company saved money by not complying
The penalty calculations are especially significant.
For each $10,000 order, the DNR said Central Disposal received an economic benefit by avoiding the time, effort and resources required to properly apply daily cover and control litter.
The agency assessed $9,000 of each $10,000 penalty for economic benefit, based on estimated daily-cover costs and landfill airspace savings.
Another $1,000 was assessed for culpability.
The DNR said Central Disposal, as the landfill’s longtime operator, was well aware of Iowa requirements involving daily cover, leachate and litter and had been expressly reminded of those requirements through the 2025 enforcement order.
DNR says improper operation creates nuisance for neighbors
The state also addressed the seriousness of improperly operating a landfill.
The DNR said improper operation of a solid waste disposal project causes a nuisance for the county where it is located and for neighboring landowners.
The agency also said improperly operating municipal landfills undermines the effective administration of similar facilities statewide.
However, the DNR waived an additional penalty based on the gravity of the violations in order to settle the matters promptly and recover the economic benefit associated with noncompliance.
Three penalties total $30,000
Each consent order requires Central Disposal to pay $10,000 within 60 days of the order becoming effective.
The combined penalties total $30,000.
The orders also require Central Disposal to comply with all solid waste laws and specifically comply with Iowa’s landfill daily-cover requirements.
Central Disposal entered the agreements for settlement purposes and neither admitted nor denied the DNR’s factual and legal allegations.
By signing the consent orders, however, the company waived its right to appeal them.
The orders warn that failure to comply could result in additional administrative penalties or referral to the Iowa Attorney General for injunctive relief and civil penalties.
For continuing coverage of county government and regulatory issues in the area, NorthIowaToday.com also maintains regular Winnebago County Board of Supervisors coverage, including meeting actions, claims and infrastructure decisions:
https://northiowatoday.com/2026/04/08/winnebago-county-courthouse-supervisor-meeting-minutes-and-expense-report-for-april-7-2026/