Iowa

Iowa sues company accused of dumping disused wind-turbine blades at sites across state

Published

2 years ago

September 27, 2024

Iowa sues company accused of dumping disused wind-turbine blades at sites across state

Clark Kauffman
| Iowa Capital Dispatch

The state of Iowa is suing a Washington state company and its executives for allegedly dumping tons of old wind-turbine blades around Iowa, in violation of the state’s solid-waste laws.

The lawsuit alleges that over the past seven years, Global Fiberglass Solutions has failed to properly dispose of decommissioned wind-turbine blades and stockpiled them at multiple locations across Iowa.

The lawsuit, filed in Iowa District Court for Jasper County, seeks payment of civil penalties and a court injunction to prevent any additional violations of the state’s solid-waste laws.

More: MidAmerican has removed tornado-collapsed turbines, but repair, replacement work ongoing

Global Fiberglass Solutions and its CEO, Donald Lilly, are named as defendants in the case, as is Ronald Albrecht, one of Global’s corporate officers. The defendants could not be reached for comment.

The lawsuit claims that General Electric, which provides parts and equipment for wind turbines, and MidAmerican Energy, which owns wind turbines in Iowa, each hired Global in 2017 to recycle their decommissioned wind-turbine blades.

MidAmerican and General Electric paid Global “millions of dollars,” the lawsuit alleges, to cut up, transport, and recycle the blades. Typically, such blades are about 170 feet long and weigh roughly 16 tons.

Rather than recycle the blades, the lawsuit claims, Global instead dumped roughly 1,300 of them at four locations around the state: Newton, Atlantic and a site in Ellsworth that was used to store blades that were originally dumped in Fort Dodge.

At one time, the lawsuit alleges, there were about 868 blades stored at the Newton site, which was a parking lot for the former Maytag factory. In Ellsworth, Global allegedly dumped 400 blades in a field, directly on the ground. In Atlantic, 22 blades were dumped in a field, directly on the ground, according to the lawsuit.

State says company never posted bond ensuring blades would be recycled

In 2018, according to the lawsuit, the Iowa Department of Natural Resources began fielding complaints about the Newton site. In 2020, the department sent Global a notice of violation related to the sites in Fort Dodge and Newton, indicating the blades were not being recycled as claimed and had simply been discarded. Later that year, a similar notice was issued regarding the Ellsworth site.

In December 2020, the lawsuit alleges, Global agreed to a consent order obligating the company to “take a number of concrete steps to purchase, install, and commence using recycling equipment” to process a certain percentage of the blades according to a series of deadlines.

The company also was required to post a $2 million surety bond to defray state expenses should the DNR be forced to remove and dispose of the blades because of Global’s lack of compliance with the consent order.

The DNR then agreed to extend the deadline for posting the bond until April 1, 2021.

Global never posted the bond, according to the lawsuit, and so the DNR ordered Global to stop accumulating wind-turbine blades in Iowa and to remove all of the blades scattered at the disposal sites. Global didn’t comply with that order and in July 2021 the matter was referred to the Iowa attorney general’s office for legal action.

The state’s lawsuit against Global was filed thie week of Sept. 22, three years after that referral. It seeks a civil penalty of up to $5,000 for each day the company was out of compliance with Iowa’s solid-waste laws.

State records indicate MidAmerican has removed and properly disposed of the blades once located at the Ellsworth site, while General Electric has removed the blades from Atlantic and Newton — a task that was completed in June this year.

Global and its executives “dumped and abandoned 1,300 decommissioned wind-turbine blades in stockpiles across the state,” Iowa Attorney General Brenna Bird said in a news release. “We are taking action to hold them accountable.”

Find this story at Iowa Capital Dispatch, which is part of States Newsroom, a network of news bureaus supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Iowa Capital Dispatch maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Kathie Obradovich for questions: kobradovich@iowacapitaldispatch.com.

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Staind, Hoobastank and BigXthaPlug to perform at Iowa State Fair

Published

6 hours ago

March 31, 2026

Press Room

Staind, Hoobastank and BigXthaPlug to perform at Iowa State Fair

Ready to rock out? Multi-platinum rock band Staind will take the Iowa State Fair Grandstand stage with special guest Hoobastank on Monday, Aug. 17.

That’s not all: breakout Texas rapper BigXthaPlug will deliver his hard-hitting southern hip-hop anthems to the Grandstand on Saturday, Aug. 22.

Here’s what to know about the performances:

Who is Staind?

Staind is a multi-platinum rock band that’s toured alongside names like Kid Rock, Limp Bizkit and Filter. Their 1999 album “Dysfunction” contained their hit song “Mudshovel,” their major-label debut, according to Musician Guide.

In 2000, Staind contributed tracks to two compilation albums: the “Scream 3” film soundtrack and a rock tribute to rap music entitled “Take A Bight Outta Rhyme: A Rock Tribute To Rap.”

Who is Hoobastank?

Hoobastank’s debut and sophomore albums have topped the Billboard charts. Their song “The Reason” hit a billion views on YouTube. Netflix also used “The Reason” in the hit series “Beef,” according to Grammy.com.

Originally a mixture of rock, metal, ska, and funk influences (with saxophones!), Hoobastank is now bristling hard rock. Their platinum-selling debut album in 2001 broke the Top 20 on Billboard charts, which included their popular anthem “Crawling in the Dark.” Their next album, “The Reason” – which pushed them into the mainstream – hit No.3 on Billboard’s Top 200 albums chart, where it stayed for more than a year.

Who is BigXthaPlug?

Dallas rapper BigXthaPlug is mixing rap and country alongside big-name country artists like Luke Combs, Ella Langley, Bailey Zimmerman, Jelly Roll, Darius Rucker and more. He’s gone from solitary confinement to Nashville’s biggest rapper, according to The New York Times.

“Hip-hop and country music both have the same base, which is storytelling,” he told The New York Times.

When is Staind performing at the Iowa State Fair? When is BigXthaPlug performing?

Staind will perform with special guest Hoobastank on Monday, Aug. 17 at 8 p.m.

BigXthaPlug will perform on Saturday, Aug. 22 at 8 p.m.

Where do I get tickets for the Iowa State Fair concerts?

Tickets for both acts go on sale Friday, April 3 at 10 a.m. and can be found online at the Iowa State Fair website.

Tickets to see Staind and Hoobastank range between $54.40 and $89.40. Tickets for BigXthaPlug range between $29.40 and $69.40.

What’s the current Iowa State Fair Grandstand lineup?

One act remains to be announced for Friday, Aug. 21. Tickets for the following shows are already on sale:

Thursday, Aug. 13: HARDY with special guest McCoy Moore
Friday, Aug. 14: Rod Stewart with special guest Richard Marx
Saturday, Aug. 15: The Red Clay Strays
Sunday, Aug. 16: Lainey Wilson with special guest Tigirlily Gold (sold out)
Monday, Aug. 17: Staind with special guest Hoobastank
Tuesday, Aug. 18: TLC and Salt-N-Pepa with En Vogue
Wednesday, Aug. 19: AJR
Thursday, Aug. 20: Riley Green with special guest Mackenzie Carpenter
Friday, Aug. 21: Not yet announced
Saturday, Aug. 22: BigXthaPlug
Sunday, Aug. 23: Josiah Queen with special guest Ben Fuller

Lucia Cheng is a service and trending reporter at the Des Moines Register. Contact her at lcheng@gannett.com or 515-284-8132.

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Iowa

Iowa Boys High School Tennis Team Rankings Released

Published

18 hours ago

March 30, 2026

Press Room

Iowa Boys High School Tennis Team Rankings Released

The Iowa Boys Tennis Coaches have released team rankings for the start of the 2026 season in Iowa boys high school tennis.

Starting off the year in the No. 1 spots will be Waukee Northwest in Class 2A and Cedar Rapids Xavier in Class 1A.

Iowa City West, Johnston, Pleasant Valley and Linn-Mar round out the Top 5 in 2A while Dubuque Wahlert Catholic, Sergeant Bluff-Luton, Decorah and Waverly-Shell Rock complete the 1A Top 5 behind Cedar Rapids Xavier.

Both Waukee Northwest and Cedar Rapids Xavier claimed the team state titles a year ago. The Wolves earned 5-0 wins over both Dowling Catholic and Iowa City West before besting Cedar Rapids Prairie in the finals, 5-1.

Cedar Rapids Xavier silenced Boone and Decorah, earning a 5-3 victory over Dubuque Wahlert Catholic in the championship match.

State Team Tennis Makes Change For 2026

New for 2026 Iowa boys tennis season will be substate team tennis, as the Top 32 teams from each classification advance to participate. Previously, all teams started play in team state just like individual state qualifiers.

Eight substates with up to four teams each will compete. There will be one host site for each substate for the semifinal round and the substate final.

Here are the Iowa boys high school tennis team rankings from the Iowa Boys Tennis Coaches.

Iowa Boys High School Tennis Team Rankings

Class 2A

Waukee Northwest
Iowa City West
Johnston
Pleasant Valley
Linn-Mar
Ames
Dowling Catholic
Cedar Rapids Prairie
Cedar Rapids Washington
West Des Moines Valley

Class 1A

Cedar Rapids Xavier
Dubuque Wahlert Catholic
Sergeant Bluff-Luton
Decorah
Waverly-Shell Rock
Pella
Central DeWitt
Boone
Ballard
Shenandoah

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Iowa basketball forward planning to return if granted extra season

Published

1 day ago

March 30, 2026

Press Room

Iowa basketball forward planning to return if granted extra season

Iowa basketball just capped one of its most magical seasons in years with its first trip to the Elite Eight since 1987.

While the Hawkeyes’ Cinderella run through March Madness closed with a 71-59 loss against No. 3 seed Illinois, Iowa reached the doorstep of the Final Four and that should pay dividends for years to come. Head coach Ben McCollum and Iowa will work to retool for another NCAA Tournament run as soon as next season.

Cooper Koch and Tate Sage each authored enthusiasm for the future with their performance as underclassmen over the course of the season and during March Madness in particular. Iowa will return forwards Alvaro Folgueiras and Cam Manyawu and guard Kael Combs from the core that led the Hawkeyes to 24 wins and an Elite Eight berth.

Iowa head coach Ben McCollum had mentioned earlier in the year that it wasn’t ruling out the possibility of forward Tavion Banks returning for the 2026-27 season either. Banks would need a waiver for additional eligibility, stemming from his career beginning in the JUCO ranks at Northwest Florida State for two seasons.

“If I get another year, I will be here next year on their side to help them out,” Banks said.

The hope is that Banks could get a Diego Pavia ruling, which earned Pavia another season of football eligibility at Vanderbilt. Pavia sued the NCAA in November of 2024, arguing that his JUCO seasons shouldn’t count toward his overall years of NCAA eligibility. A federal judge in Tennessee granted Pavia an injunction in December of 2024, opening the door for other former JUCO athletes to potentially receive waivers for more NCAA eligibility.

But, Banks is aware of the uncertainty surrounding whether or not he will indeed receive another season of eligibility.

“I don’t know the future. God will plan it all out for me. I wish them the best of luck and I’ll be cheering for them and I’m sure I’ll be a part of Hawkeye nation,” Banks said.

It would be a major boon for McCollum and for the Hawkeyes if Banks is inded able to return for the 2026-27 men’s college basketball season. Banks has played with McCollum each of the past two seasons at Drake and at Iowa, and the 6-foot-7 forward was Iowa’s second-leading scorer this past season, averaging 10.2 points and 4.6 rebounds per game on 52% field goal shooting.

Banks keyed Iowa’s second-round upset of top-seeded Florida, scoring a team-high 20 points in the win over the Gators.

Contact/Follow us @HawkeyesWire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Iowa news, notes and opinions. Follow Josh on X: @JoshOnHawks

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