THE STATE OF IOWA HAS FILED A LAWSUIT AGAINST THE CITY OF SIOUX CITY, ALLEGING THAT IT MISLED STATE OFFICIALS BY MANIPULATING TEST RESULTS AND DISCHARGING POLLUTED WATER INTO THE MISSOURI RIVER.
THE LAWSUIT ALLEGES THAT FROM MARCH 15TH, 2012, THROUGH JUNE 8TH OF 2015, THE CITY’S WASTEWATER TREATMENT FACILITY WOULD PROPERLY DISINFECT WASTEWATER DISCHARGES ONLY ON DAYS IN WHICH SAMPLES FOR E. COLI CONTAMINATION WERE TAKEN AND SUBMITTED TO THE IOWA DEPARTMENT OF NATURAL RESOURCES.
THE LAWSUIT ALLEGES IT WAS AN ATTEMPT BY THE CITY TO INCREASE ITS TREATMENT CAPACITY WITHOUT A SIGNIFICANT CAPITAL INVESTMENT.
THE STATE IS ASKING THE COURT TO ASSESS A CIVIL PENALTY OF UP TO $5,000 FOR EACH DAY OF VIOLATION AND ISSUE A PERMANENT INJUNCTION PREVENTING THE CITY FROM FURTHER VIOLATIONS OF STATE LAW AND ITS TREATMENT PERMIT.
THE LAWSUIT CLAIMS THE CITY CONTINUES TO VIOLATE PERMIT LIMITS FOR AMMONIA AND CHLORINE.
FORMER TREATMENT PLANT SUPERINTENDENT JAY NIDAY PLEADED GUILTY TO CHARGES OF CONSPIRACY AND FALSIFYING OR PROVIDING INACCURATE INFORMATION AND WAS SENTENCED LAST YEAR IN FEDERAL COURT TO THREE MONTHS IN PRISON AND WAS FINED $6,000.
FORMER SUPERVISOR PATRICK SCHWARTE PLEADED GUILTY TO SIMILAR CHARGES AND WAS SENTENCED TO TWO YEARS OF PROBATION AND FINED $5,000.
THE STATE CLAIMS THAT SIOUX CITY CONTINUES TO HAVE DIFFICULTY WITH THE PLANT AND HAS DISCHARGED EXCESSIVE AMOUNTS OF TOTAL RESIDUAL CHLORINE AS RECENTLY AS AUGUST OF 2021.
