Dive Brief:

• The Northwest Iowa Area Solid Waste Agency agreed to pay the state $100,000 in civil penalties to settle a lawsuit for alleged dumping and environmental practices. However, a separate ruling determined that $100,000 in damages will be paid to the solid waste agency as a result of misinformed actions and advice of Elliot Waddell and Five States Engineering. 
• Operators of the Sheldon landfill in Iowa allegedly disposed 300,000 tons of trash into unapproved cells that had no liners or leachate collection system. 
• It was also alleged the waste agency began working on two cells without obtaining a construction permit from the Iowa Department of Natural Resources (DNR).

Dive Insight:

The state DNR filed a lawsuit against the landfill agency in September 2013 stemming from the violations. The agency has paid its fine, but has yet to collect. At its expense, the agency is also required to cap the area and cells by 2017. Waddell was required by the Iowa Engineering and Land Surveying Examining Board to complete an ethics course in engineering two years ago.