(Des Moines) Attorney General Brenna Bird announced settlements in two cases her office prosecuted on behalf of the Iowa Department of Natural Resources.
On March 11, 2024, NEW Cooperative, Inc. in Red Oak notified the Iowa Department of Natural Resources (DNR) of a release occurring on-site. Approximately 1,500 tons (265,000 gallons) of liquid nitrogen fertilizer (32% solution) were discharged into a drainage ditch, then into the East Nishnabotna River. The release occurred due to an aboveground storage tank valve left open for the weekend.
NEW Co-op has agreed to a settlement related to the March 2024 ammonia nitrogen release at its Red Oak facility that led to a significant fish kill along 48 miles of the Nishnabotna River and its confluence with the Missouri River. Under the settlement, NEW Co-op will pay a $50,000 penalty, pay $50,000 toward a supplemental environmental project with the Montgomery County Conservation Board, and agree to a three-year statewide injunction prohibiting future violations of Iowa’s water-quality laws.
