EPA, DOJ reach settlement with Iowa feedlot over Clean Water Act violations

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and Department of Justice have reached a proposed settlement with Wynja Feedlot, Inc. over unauthorized discharges from its concentrated animal feeding operation (CAFO) in northwest Iowa. The agreement, announced Nov. 17, 2025, requires the company to pay a $20,000 civil penalty and take steps to stop future discharges to a tributary of the West Branch of the Floyd River.

EPA inspectors found in March 2021 that process wastewater from the 1,998-head beef operation was flowing through a drainage pipe into a nearby tributary without a National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit. Sampling showed elevated levels of ammonia, bacteria, chlorides and organic matter, degrading downstream water quality. EPA also determined that limited wastewater containment meant additional unauthorized discharges were likely during major storm events.

The West Branch of the Floyd River, which ultimately flows to the Missouri River, is already listed as impaired due to fish kills and poor biological assessments. EPA estimates that actions required under the settlement will prevent roughly 4.5 million gallons of wastewater from entering the watershed each year—reducing pollutants by approximately 137,000 pounds annually, including total suspended solids, nitrogen, phosphorus and chemical oxygen demand.

Under the consent decree, Wynja Feedlot must apply for an NPDES permit, construct a lined containment basin large enough to handle runoff from a 25-year, 24-hour storm, and conduct ongoing sampling for pollutants such as ammonia, nitrate-nitrite, chlorides, and bacteria. The company has already applied for the permit and received approval for the basin’s construction.

The proposed settlement has been filed in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Iowa and is subject to a 30-day public comment period before final approval.