Clean Air Muscatine

Air quality in Muscatine, Iowa is an outlier—nationally. The National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) regulate 6 pollutants. 3 years of record setting exceedances for two pollutants, sulfur dioxide (SO2) and particulate matter 2.5 (PM2.5), are forcing Muscatine, possibly the whole county, to manage the threat of non-attainment. Non-attainment is a classification which hinders economic development due to additional air modeling, regulation, and over sight for business expansion and new development. 

As standards tightened, other Iowa cities decreased and nearly eliminated exceedances while Muscatine drastically increased exceedances, setting record levels of harm. Exceedance incidents include: 6 PM2.5 exceedances in 2009; 15 PM2.5 and 14 SO2 exceedances in 2010; 2 PM2.5 and 37 SO2 exceedances in 2011; 4 PM2.5 and 36 SO2 exceedances in 2012. In 2013 the numbers skyrocketed, from January 1 to June 24, there have been 4 PM2.5 exceedances and 40 SO2 exceedances.

Every exceedence has the potential to cause an acute health episode to our most vulnerable, those under 18, over 65, or with a preexisting condition. 

The American Lung Association ranked Muscatine County 24th in the nation for short-term particulate pollution (24-hour PM2.5) in 2011, and continually gives Muscatine “F’s” in their annual report cards.  Also, according to the Center for Public Integrity, Grain Processing Corporation (GPC), our biggest polluter emits more lead than any company in Iowa, and is one of the biggest emitters of acetaldehyde in the United States. Long-term exposure to acetaldehyde causes the same symptoms as chronic alcoholism.

Legal Action                                                                              In 2006, GPC was sued by the Iowa Attorney General for failure to prevent significant deterioration to Muscatine’s air quality. GPC lost the suit, paid a $538,000 fine, but did not install required pollution controls. 

Today, the Iowa Attorney General is once again suing GPC. The suit alleges GPC: emitted excess particulate matter and sulfur dioxide; failed to maintain and repair equipment to prevent and remedy excess emissions; failed to obtain a construction permit to prevent significant deterioration of the air quality; failed to comply with notification, reporting and emission reduction requirements for hazardous air pollutants; and failed to obtain a construction permit for a 1.9-million gallon anaerobic settler for the facility’s wastewater treatment system.

CLAM is an intervenor in this lawsuit. That means we get a seat at the table and will be asking for additional remedies not requested by the state, including: additional air monitoring, a special master to oversee monitoring, and energy transition away from coal.  CLAM’s attorney is James C. Larew. Larew was General Council, Senior Policy Advisor and Chief of Staff to former Iowa Governor, Chet Culver. He is working pro bono. No funds raised will pay attorney fees.

I don't live in Muscatine. Why should I care?

Our biggest polluter, Grain Processing Corporation, is an international business that provides ingredients to most major producers of food and alcohol, personal care products, paper products and pharmaceuticals.

While the products are used around the world, their out of date production processes are causing harm to one community. You can learn more about their products at http://www.grainprocessing.com/

Please donate to help Clean Air Muscatine hold our polluters accountable. After generations of harm, the time is now.