IOWA CITY, Iowa (Legal Newsline) – The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced a settlement with Iowa City, Iowa, after allegations the city violated the Clean Air Act at its sanitary landfill.
Iowa City purportedly failed to comply with parts of the New Source Performance Standards for Municipal Solid Waste Landfills. The EPA charged the city with failing to conduct appropriate monitoring and failing to expand the gas collection well system when wells exceed standards for oxygen content, methane concentration and pressure.
Landfill standards exist to control emissions of landfill gas and to monitor and keep records – all in an effort to minimize landfill gas emissions.
Under the terms of the settlement, the city will pay an $8,225 civil penalty, develop a Supplemental Environmental Project for $109,000 and create other improvement that will cost an estimated $2 million.
“This settlement is the result of cooperative and productive discussions with Iowa City,” EPA Region 7 Administrator Mark Hague said. “As part of the settlement, the city will implement important, progressive measures that will minimize risks to the local community and improve public access to information about conditions at the site.”