Listen to this week’s radio segment here or read the transcript below. This week’s segment discusses a complaint filed against MidAmerican Energy by the Sierra Club.
An environmental group’s complaint will lead to cleaner air in Iowa.
This is the Iowa Environmental Focus.
Last summer, the Sierra Club threatened to sue MidAmerican Energy for emitting more pollution than permitted by the Clean Air Act and Iowa regulations at their power plants in Sergeant Bluff, Bettendorf and Council Bluffs.
To avoid the lawsuit, MidAmerican agreed to stop burning coal in two boilers at both their Council Bluffs and Sergeant Bluff facilities by April 2016. They also agreed to convert three coal-fired boilers in Bettendorf to natural gas. MidAmerican is considering converting the coal units in Sergeant Bluff and Council Bluffs to natural gas as well.
As a final part of the agreement, MidAmerican will install solar panels at the Iowa State Fairgrounds, and set up a display with details about renewable energy tax credits.
For more information, visit IowaEnvironmentalFocus.org.
From the UI Center for Global and Regional Environmental Research, I’m Jerry Schnoor.
