IOWA DEPARTMENT OF NATURAL RESOURCES
March 22, 2007
For immediate release

1. Water quality standards on EPC April agenda
2. DNR announces new grant and loan programs to help iowans install
urban storm water practices
3. DNR expands grant program to establish regional collection
centers for hazardous materials
4. DNR updates yield data for manure management, livestock
construction permit

WATER QUALITY STANDARDS ON EPC APRIL AGENDA

MEDIA CONTACT:  Karen Grimes at (515) 281-5135.

DES MOINES - The Environmental Protection Commission will hear reports
on water quality standard updates at the April EPC meeting.

The commissioners will hear a report on two proposals that would
eventually improve water quality for aquatic life and human health
issues. Both would provide updates to the current water quality
standards.

One proposal would suggest criteria for about 25 different chemicals,
making Iowa’s water quality standards more consistent with the U.S.
Environmental Protection Commission. The other would update
commissioners on plans for setting criteria for total dissolved solids
and chlorine.

The meeting will begin at 9:30 a.m. at the DNR Air Quality Building,
7900 Hickman Road in Urbandale. Public participation is scheduled for
10:30 a.m.

The following appointments are scheduled:
1 p.m. - Ruling on DNR’s motion for Summary Judgment - CDI, LLC &
Winnebago Industries, Inc.
2:15 p.m. - River Bluff Resort, LLC (Referral to the Attorney General)

2:45 p.m. - Dennis Sharkey (Item 9b - Referral to the Attorney
General).

The meeting is open to the public.

● The complete agenda follows:
● Approval of Agenda
● Approval of Minutes
● Director’s Remarks
● Non-point Source Pollution Control Project Contracts
● Contract - Ayres Associates/Yahara Software - Internet Database
for County and State Onsite Wastewater Program
● Contracts for Archeological and/or Architectural History
Services - State Revolving Fund
● Final Rule, Chapter 61, Water Quality Standards, Section 401
Certification of Section 404 Nationwide Permits (NWPs)
● Ruling on DNR’s Motion for Summary Judgment -  CDI, LLC and
Winnebago Industries, Inc.
● Referrals to the Attorney General
a) Clifford Yentes / Clifford Yentes Trust (Council Bluffs) - Solid
Waste and Underground Storage Tanks
b) Dennis Sharkey (Durango) - Air Quality
c) River Bluff Resort, LLC / C.J. Moyna & Sons, Inc. / P.A. McGuire
Construction, Inc. (McGregor) - Stormwater
● Proposed Rule - Chapter 93 - Nonpoint Source Pollution Control
Set-Aside Programs
● Proposed Rule - Chapter 61 - Water Quality Standards
● Total Dissolved Solids (TDS) and Chloride Update
● Monthly Reports
● General Discussion
Next Meeting: May 1, 2007 - Des Moines
● Items for next month's meeting

More information about the agenda items can be found on the DNR Web
site under Commissions and Boards at www.iowadnr.gov. 

The members of the commission are Jerry Peckumn, chair, Jefferson;
Francis Thicke, vice chair, Fairfield; Lisa Davis-Cook, secretary, West
Des Moines; Donna Buell, Spirit Lake; Mary Gail Scott, Cedar Rapids;
David Petty, Eldora; Suzanne Morrow, Storm Lake; Henry Marquard,
Muscatine and Darrell Hanson, Manchester. The director of the DNR is
Richard Leopold. 

Writer: Karen Grimes

# # #

DNR ANNOUNCES NEW GRANT AND LOAN PROGRAMS TO HELP IOWANS INSTALL URBAN
STORMWATER PRACTICES

MEDIA CONTACT: Bill Ehm at (515) 281-4701 (grants) or Tony Toigo at
(515) 281-6148 (loans)

DES MOINES - The DNR is encouraging cities, schools and other groups
wanting to improve urban water quality to apply for its new storm water
grant and loan programs.

Urban conservation practices, such as bioswales, rain gardens and
permeable pavement, help slow and filter rain water as it runs off urban
surfaces. As it runs across lawns and pavement, storm water can pick up
pollutants like soil, fertilizers, pet waste and oil. That storm water
washes into storm sewers, which dump the water into a local stream or
lake without any treatment. Most urban conservation practices help storm
water soak directly into the ground rather than runoff into storm
sewers.

“Runoff from urban sources is a large source of pollution in Iowa,”
said Bill Ehm, of the DNR’s Watershed Improvement program. “These
grants and loans are just one more way we’re helping Iowans improve
their streams and lakes.”

The DNR has up to $170,000 available in grants to help build urban
conservation practices. Grants must be used as cost-share funding, and
will be limited to a maximum of 50 percent of the total project cost or
$7,500, whichever is less. The local cost-share match can be cash or an
in-kind donation. Practices must be innovative, fully accessible to the
public, and include a public outreach and education campaign.

To apply, visit www.iowadnr.gov/rfp/ beginning March 23 and click on
“Improved Iowa Urban Stormwater Control Practices.” Applications
are due by 4:30 p.m. on May 11, 2007.

The DNR is also announcing a new addition to the Clean Water State
Revolving Fund, which provides low-interest loans to help Iowans improve
urban stormwater quality. Stormwater Best Management Practice Loans,
with an interest rate of three percent or less, start at $5,000 and can
fund up to 100 percent of costs for up to 20 years. To apply, contact
your local Soil and Water Conservation District at any time. Financing
for private borrowers is available through participating local lenders,
and public entities should contact the Iowa Finance Authority.

Potential applicants with questions about the grant funding may contact
Bill Ehm in writing at [log in to unmask] or via mail at the
following address:
Bill Ehm
Iowa Department of Natural Resources
Wallace State Office Building
502 E. 9th St.
Des Moines, Iowa 50319

Those with questions about the Stormwater Best Management Practice Loan
program can contact Tony Toigo in the Iowa Department of Agriculture and
Land Stewardship at (515) 281-6148 or at [log in to unmask].

For more information on both the grant and loan programs, please visit
www.iowadnr.gov/water/watershed/stormwater.html.

Writer: Jessie Brown

# # #

DNR EXPANDS GRANT PROGRAM TO ESTABLISH REGIONAL COLLECTION CENTERS FOR
HAZARDOUS MATERIALS

MEDIA CONTACT: Kathleen Hennings at (515) 281-5859 or
[log in to unmask]

DES MOINES - The DNR announced today that applications for Regional
Collection Center establishment grants will now be accepted and reviewed
on an open, year-round basis.

The Regional Collection Center (RCC) Establishment Grant Program
encourages the proper disposal of household hazardous materials and
hazardous waste from “conditionally exempt small quantity generator”
businesses.

Local Regional Collection Centers offer collection, sorting and
packaging of hazardous materials from urban and rural households. RCCs
also work with conditionally exempt small quantity generator businesses
prior to transportation of wastes for final management or disposal. 

“One of our goals is to have Regional Collection Center services
easily accessible for all Iowans,” said Kathleen Hennings, an
environmental specialist with the DNR. “The expansion of our grant
program is one more step towards that goal.”

Applications can be downloaded at:
www.iowadnr.gov/waste/financial/financialrcc.html. More information
is also available at www.iowadnr.gov/waste/hhm/index.html.

For more information, contact Hennings at (515) 281-5859 or
[log in to unmask].

# # #

DNR UPDATES YIELD DATA FOR MANURE MANAGEMENT, LIVESTOCK CONSTRUCTION
PERMIT

MEDIA CONTACT: Cindy Martens at (712) 262-4177.

DES MOINES - The DNR has revised the manure management plan form to
include 2006 corn and soybean yield data recently released from the U.S.
Department of Agriculture. The DNR has also posted a recent update to
the confinement construction permit application on its Web site.

 Updated yield data is used in manure management plans required by the
DNR. Producers can use an average of the last five years of corn or
soybean yields, the average of the four highest years out of the last
five, or the last five years plus 10 percent when planning their manure
application rates.

Changes in the construction permit application include:
1) adding an example of a site drawing map to help producers comply
with separation distances, and
2) adding a checkbox for applicants who are new owners.
Both changes are expected to help applicants and reduce the number of
returned applications because of sketchy information or the wrong fee
amounts.

The updated construction permit application (form 542-1428) and the
updated yield data (Appendix A8 to the DNR manure management plan) can
be found on the DNR Web site www.iowadnr.gov under animal feeding
operations. Or, at http://www.iowadnr.com/afo/forms/appena.pdf.