IOWA
Interstate Power and Light, a subsidiary of Alliant Energy, agreed to settle a lawsuit and spend $6 million to reduce air pollution by installing technology along with setting up stringent emission rates at its seven coal-fired Iowa plants, officials announced Wednesday.
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.
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, officials said.
“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.”
The settlement also requires Interstate Power and Light to pay a fine of $1.1 million to resolve alleged violations of the Clean Air Act.
Linn County, Iowa, the state of Iowa and the Sierra Club join the United States as co-plaintiffs in the case, according to officials.
Under the settlement, officials said 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.
This new, state-of-the-art pollution controls required by the settlement are expected to cost approximately $620 million.
Interstate Power and Light will also be required to spend $6 million on environmental mitigation projects, officials said.
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, according to authorities.
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 SO2and 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.
