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A northwest Iowa city discharging untreated wastewater into the Little Sioux River has contracted with a manure hauler to stop the releases.
The Iowa Department of Natural Resources says the hauler is pumping wastewater from the city of Quimby’s lift station into a tanker and transporting it across the river into the city’s lagoon.
State environmental officials estimate at least 15,000 gallons of untreated wastewater was going into the river each day from a city sewer line break.
The river has been above minor flood stage this past week. Tom Roos (like noose) with the DNR says it likely diluted the wastewater, avoiding any environmental impacts like a fish kill.
We’ve just asked the city to take a look and see. We don’t anticipate any type of fish kill or any other significant environmental impacts from it.
Quimby’s wastewater operator declined to comment.
The attorney for former Iowa Gov. Terry Branstad has filed an unusual request to the state Supreme Court that seeks to stop a civil trial now in its third day, arguing rulings by a judge are unconstitutional.
Branstad attorney Frank Harty says that the trial judge is allowing Godfrey to put on trial Branstad's positions on gay marriage and the Republican Party's "anti-gay" views.
Branstad and two former staff members were sued by former Iowa Workers' Compensation Commissioner Christopher Godfrey, who claims he was pressured to quit after Branstad took over in 2010 and cut his pay cut by a third. Godfrey claims it was because he's gay. Branstad
