Iowa Looks at Coal Ash Regulations

Last month a flood of toxic sludge in Tennessee covered hundred of acres of land after a dam broke at a coal plant.

Iowa is now looking to regulate the disposal of coal ash.

Iowa environmental regulators say they will push for landfill-style regulations for coal ash disposal sites in the state.

Members of the Iowa Environmental Protection Commission vowed Tuesday to push for the more stringent and costly rules. They also criticized Iowa Department of Natural Resources officials, who last month said they favored the testing of groundwater to see if the toxic ash was polluting waterways before requiring liners and monitoring at new disposal sites.

The commission's decision follows recent coal ash spills in Tennessee and Alabama, and stems from efforts to rewrite the state's landfill rules.

Coal ash comes from coal-burning and contains heavy metals and pollutants linked to neurological problems and other illnesses.

There are more than a dozen coal ash disposal sites in Iowa.