THE SIOUX CITY COUNCIL APPROVED PAYMENT OF A $300,000 SETTLEMENT WITH THE STATE OF IOWA MONDAY AFTER BEING SUED BY THE DEPARTMENT OF NATURAL RESOURCES ALLEGING THE CITY DISCHARGED WASTEWATER INTO THE MISSOURI RIVER IN VIOLATION OF IOWA’S WATER QUALITY RULES AND SIOUX CITY’S NATIONAL POLLUTANT DISCHARGE ELIMINATION SYSTEM PERMIT..
IN 2014, TWO FORMER CITY EMPLOYEES VIOLATED PROVISIONS OF THE UNITED STATES CLEAN WATER ACT BY FALSIFYING INFORMATION ABOUT WASTEWATER BEING RELEASED FROM THE CITY’S TREATMENT PLANT INTO THE RIVER.
CHLORINE DOSAGES WERE DRAMATICALLY INCREASED ON DAYS THAT E. COLI SAMPLES WERE TAKEN AND THEN TURNED BACK ONCE THE SAMPLING WAS COMPLETE, .
THE NEGOTIATED SETTLEMENT IS SUBSTANTIALLY REDUCED FROM THE PENALTY ORIGINALLY SOUGHT OF MORE THAN $6 MILLION DOLLARS.
THE CONSENT ORDER ALSO OUTLINES A SCHEDULE FOR MAJOR IMPROVEMENTS AT THE WASTEWATER TREATMENT PLANT, MANY OF WHICH THE CITY SAYS ARE ALREADY UNDERWAY OR IN ADVANCED PLANNING STAGES AS PART OF A LONG-TERM FACILITY PLAN.
FILEPHOTO
