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EPA Approves Iowa's List of Impaired Waters

Release Date: 08/04/2010
Contact Information: Kris Lancaster, (913) 551-7557, lancaster.kris@epa.gov


Environmental News

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

(Kansas City, Kan., August 4, 2010) - EPA has approved Iowa's 2008 list of impaired waters. This decision will help the Iowa Department of Natural Resources (IDNR) set priorities for restoration activities to improve water quality in the coming years.

EPA Region 7 Administrator Karl Brooks said, "The impaired waters identified on Iowa’s list will help to reduce sources of water pollution in the state. This is a big step toward cleaner water for residents of Iowa.”

IDNR submitted its impaired waters list to EPA for review and approval as required by the Clean Water Act. The Clean Water Act requires EPA to review the state’s list of impaired waters to determine if the state reasonably considered available water quality-related data, and identified waters to be listed.

With this action, EPA is approving Iowa's decision to include 183 waters and remove 54 waters from the impaired waters list, bringing the total number of impaired waters in the state to 434.

EPA’s August 4, 2010, decision letter provides a more detailed description of EPA’s review and the basis for this action. The decision letter, including the 2008 impaired waters list, is available at www.epa.gov/region07/news_events/legal/.