The Iowa Attorney General has filed four lawsuits against people accused of illegally burning all kinds of garbage and waste. Bob Brammer, a spokesman for the A-G’s office, says the Iowa Department of Natural Resources couldn’t get their attention, so the Attorney General has filed lawsuits against the individuals in Adams, Dickinson, Dubuque and Pottawattamie counties.
Brammer says these violations were beyond your simple garbage dumps — and cites the case in Adams County as an example. Brammer says there were 55 gallon drums leaking hazardous materials including oil, benzene, and other products. He says in another case near Council Bluffs, they had a six-story high pile of solid waste that included tires, appliances, and shingles.
The suit in Adams County is against Environmental Recycling Company and Dwight and Kathryn Oglesbee. The Pottawattamie County lawsuit is against Clifford Yentes. The lawsuit in Dickinson County is against Cohrs Construction, Inc and the one in Dubuque County is against Dennis James Sharkey, Junior.
Brammer says they asked the court to order cleanup and to assess penalties of up to $5,000 a day and order no more violations. Brammer says in the Pottawattamie County case they’ve asked the judge to find Yentes in contempt of court. He says the state already has an injunction against Yentes for other violations.