Iowa Department of Natural Resources
Environmental Services Division
For Immediate Release
February 27, 2007
1. Deadline for manure management plans extended
2. More Iowa communities bypass wastewater
DEADLINE FOR MANURE MANAGEMENT PLANS EXTENDED
DES MOINES — The March 1st deadline that some livestock producers had to
submit updated manure management plans has been extended for two weeks.
“We fully recognize some of the hardships that livestock producers have
faced with the recent weather conditions and we want to give them time to
address the immediate concerns they may be facing, particularly with
predictions of another winter storm coming this week,” said Richard Leopold,
director off the DNR.
Leopold said the DNR has received some reports of producers having
difficulty updating their plans because of power outages this week and not
being able to access electronically stored data needed to complete the
updates.
Approximately 350 manure management plan updates were due on Thursday. The
new deadline is Friday, March 16th. Plans postmarked by midnight on March
16th will be accepted.
A manure management plan (MMP) is a tool for producers to use when they plan
their nutrient placement to optimize crop production. Filling out an MMP
helps producers identify the amount of manure being produced, the nutrient
concentration in the manure, the number of acres that are required for land
application and the amount that will be applied to each available acre.
Mid-size and large producers are required by state law to fill out and file
an MMP with the DNR.
For more information, contact Cindy Martens at 712-262-4177.
###
MORE IOWA COMMUNITIES BYPASS WASTEWATER
Winter storm leads to power losses and bypasses
MEDIA CONTACT: Kevin Baskins, (515) 281-8395
DES MOINES – The DNR continued to receive reports of wastewater bypasses
from across Iowa on Tuesday following this weekend’s winter storm.
Although bypassing sewage is never a desirable situation, it can prevent
sewage backup into homes and businesses, which can create a greater risk to
human health. Bypassing to a stream can help dilute the wastewater, while
sewage in basements would be undiluted.
“It is important that bypassing be kept to a minimum. The longer and the
more volume that is bypassed, the more serious the impact can be to the
environment and water quality,” said Barb Lynch, chief of the DNR’s field
services bureau.
The following communities reported wastewater bypasses to the DNR on
Tuesday:
Center Point (Linn)
The City of Center Point bypassed about 15,000 gallons of wastewater to Blue
Creek. A lift station lost power due to the winter storm on Saturday and
began bypassing at 2:45 a.m. Sunday when a backup generator failed. The city
bypassed until 3:30 a.m. Sunday when a new generator went into operation.
Power was restored later on Sunday.
Eldridge (Scott County)
The City of Eldridge bypassed less than 5,000 gallons following a pump
failure Sunday. A backup generator was used during Saturday’s power outage
to prevent bypassing, but the lift station pump failed late Sunday. Power
was restored and the pump was back in operation by 10 a.m. Monday. The
wastewater pooled in a field and did not reach a stream.
LeClaire (Scott County)
The City of LeClaire bypassed about 120,000 gallons of wastewater from 7:30
p.m. Monday to 8 a.m. Tuesday due to a problem with the plant’s computerized
controls. The bypass reached a small unnamed stream that runs to the
Mississippi River. This bypass is not related to this weekend’s winter
storm.
Moville (Woodbury County)
A broken force main between the City of Moville’s lift station and its
storage lagoons has led the city to bypass about 150,000 gallons of
wastewater into a roadside ditch near Highway 20. The bypass is entering a
tile intake in the ditch and flowing to the West Fork of the Little Sioux
River. The city discovered the bypass around 3 p.m. Monday and the bypass
ended around 7 a.m. Tuesday. The city is working to repair the force main
and has arranged for wastewater to be hauled to its lagoon if necessary.
North English (Iowa County)
A power failure led to the City of North English bypassing an unknown amount
of wastewater to Little Creek, a tributary of the South English River, from
early Monday to 8:50 Monday evening. The power loss led to the failure of a
lift station and failure for an alarm to alert the wastewater operator of
the situation.
Ottumwa (Wapello County)
The City of Ottumwa lost power to four lift stations, leading to the city
bypassing an unknown amount of wastewater Saturday and Sunday to Oxbow Lake
and an unnamed tributary to Sugar Creek.
-30-
Neila Seaman, MPA
Director
Sierra Club, Iowa Chapter
3839 Merle Hay Road, Suite 280
Des Moines, IA 50310
[log in to unmask]
515-277-8868
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