DNR to hold hearing on new Cedar Rapids wastewater discharge permit

The Iowa Department of Natural Resources will hold a public hearing on at 7 p.m. Dec. 14 on the City of Cedar Rapids' application for renewal of a state permit to discharge wastewater into the Cedar River.

The hearing will begin at 7 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 14, at Coe College. It willl be held in the Kesler Lecture Hall at Hickock Hall, 1220 First Ave. NE.

The Iowa Environmental Council, a coalition of environmental groups, has voiced concerns about the impact of the impact of the permit's conditions on the Cedar River, noting that the Cedar River at Palisades Kepler State Park 2.3 miles doenstream of the discharge is listed as impaired due to shrinking mussel pouplations.

The council voiced concerns to its members about greater limits for ammonia than those currently discharged, and proposed mercury limits from Cedar Rapids' two outlets.

The council also expressed concerns about “flow variable” limits on ammonia discharge, which allow discharges to increase as the Cedar River's flow increases. It argues that the flow-variable limits do not cap the total amount of ammonia the city can release, and proposes mercury limits assuming mixing or dilution from a diffiuser at the city's discharge point. The variable limits and mixing zones don't account for uncertainties that can lead to acute or chronic toxicity, the council said.