Iowa Farmer Jeff Boyer, whose liquid ammonium phosphate fertilizer tank ruptured in Burlington, Iowa, on April 22, has been accused of not reporting a fertilizer spill, driving away from it, and initially refusing to help clean a creek it contaminated, according to the Iowa Capital Dispatch, citing the Iowa Department of Natural Resources (DNR).
DNR named Boyer in its initial press release that reported the spill (GM April 26, p. 29). The investigation revealed an unknown amount of the fertilizer spilled onto the street and continued into a nearby storm sewer that discharges into Hawkeye Creek.
DNR staff later observed fertilizer contamination at Hawkeye Creek, which flows through the City of Burlington to the Mississippi River. City officials worked to capture the creek flow and clean it through the Burlington Wastewater Treatment Plant.
While no dead fish were observed, the DNR told the Dispatch that the creek was discolored up to a mile away from the spill site. The city later opted to flush the creek with 200,000 gallons of water to dilute the contamination.