Residents of small Iowa town take legal action against employer: 'Too often allowed to violate the law'

A group known for defending groundwater in Iowa has announced its intentions to file a federal lawsuit against a large meatpacking facility for its repeated wastewater pollution violations.

What's happening?

Agri Star Meat & Poultry packages kosher beef, chicken, and turkey, producing more than 50 million pounds each of cattle and poultry annually, according to The Gazette.

In the process of packaging meat, the company reportedly discharges up to a million gallons each day into the nearby creek that flows into the Yellow River.

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The Driftless Water Defenders cite more than 50 violations made by Agri Star, including excessive pollution of ammonia, copper, chloride, suspended waste particles, and others. A major incident in March 2024 involved a blockage of Agri Star's wastewater system that illegally redirected about 250,000 gallons of meat processing wastewater into a city's sewer system. 

Egan Guerrero, an Agri Star supervisor, alleged that "the blockage was a result of 'vandalism and sabotage.'"

Why is this lawsuit important?

By bringing forward a lawsuit, the Driftless Water Defenders aim to hold the company accountable for water pollution, an environmental disadvantage responsible for water scarcity and contamination of 2.2 billion people globally. Meanwhile, in the United States alone, 1.1 million people are affected per year.

"This potential citizen suit is an example of one of the key enforcement mechanisms of the (Clean Water) Act, ensuring that polluting industries are held accountable for violations of their permits," as Dan Snyder, a Public Justice attorney, commented for The Gazette.

"There are many examples of these types of cases across the United States, for polluters are too often allowed to violate the law without meaningful enforcement."

What's being done about the lawsuit?

While the Agri Star declined to comment for The Gazette, it has been warned about the federal lawsuit that is set to be made in February. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency requires a 60-day notification period before the suit is filed, which allows time for the violator to make the necessary changes or have the EPA enforce compliance.

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