Non-profit files lawsuit against meat plant over wastewater
Driftless Water Defenders (DWD) filed a federal civil lawsuit on February 25, 2025, against Agri Star Meat & Poultry, LLC for allegedly violating the Clean Water Act (CWA).
DWD is an Iowa nonprofit membership corporation focused on water issues in Iowa.
Agri Star owns and operates an agricultural processing facility in Postville, Iowa. A DWD press release states that Agri Star has a long and well-documented record of water pollution violations and enforcement actions.
The DWD complaint alleges that violations of the CWA occurred and continue to occur at the Agri Star processing facility. The complaint describes both Agri Star’s obligations and duties under the CWA and details a long series of violations of its operating permit, which DWD alleges wrongfully pollute Hecker Creek and the Yellow River.
Under the CWA, a permitted facility must self-monitor and self-report its pollution discharges.
According to a press release, Agri Star’s reports indicate significant and repeated exceedances of pollution limits in waterways adjacent to the Postville facility have occurred for years.
DWD further alleges that the facility has failed to take and report sampling results for a wide range of pollutants.
Under the complaint, DWD seeks declaratory and injunctive relief, civil penalties and all other relief authorized by law.
“The Yellow River has traditionally been one of Iowa’s recreational crown jewels – clean water where citizens can fish, hike, canoe and kayak,” said President of DWD Chris Jones in a press release. “The Iowa Code describes our waters as the ‘wealth’ of the people. If governmental agencies won’t enforce our clean water laws, citizens must step in to do that.”
DWD is represented by Public Justice, FarmSTAND and Larew Law Office.