DES MOINES -- A plan to shelve new rules intended to keep toxic coal ash out of Iowa's water supplies is being criticized by environmentalists who say state officials are caving to industry pressure.
Critics of the plan, which would delay the rules for up to three years while more monitoring takes place, say the state is putting Iowans' drinking water supplies and health at risk.
"Why, if they were willing to pass a whole new rule to protect public health, would they throw it out the window and say, 'You do what you wish?' " asked Carrie La Seur, founder of Plains Justice, a Cedar Rapids-based public interest environmental law center.
La Seur said she learned earlier this week that state regulators agreed to postpone action on the rules.
That move came after companies that handle ash waste questioned the true health risk and objected to potential costs. They noted the costly changes would be passed on to consumers.
Instead of adopting the new rules, La Seur said the firms offered to install monitoring wells to check whether ash is polluting water around unlined former gravel pits and ravines where the material is used as fill.
Full Story: http://www.thehawkeye.com/Story/IA-CoalAshRules-010409
