Statewide, Iowa – A top official with the US EPA says the agency is still reviewing a petition by an environmental group asking for federal authorities to take over enforcement of clean water laws from the Iowa DNR. The Sierra Club of Iowa petitioned the EPA in July, claiming the state is failing to stop harmful levels of nutrients from reaching waterways.
Bruno Pigott, who leads the EPA Office of Water, says if the agency agrees enforcement in Iowa is falling short, state authorities would have a chance to change course before federal regulators step in.
Pigott highlighted projects the EPA is helping fund in Iowa to improve water quality, including a 348-million dollar upgrade to the Cedar Rapids wastewater system. He discussed the petition on the Iowa Public Radio program “River to River.”
