Dirty air is something Muscatine has battled for nearly two decades and the EPA and the Iowa DNR continue to reach out to Muscatine to try and solve the problems. But the EPA says Iowa will soon have to step up its efforts to keep the air clean.
"My kids and my grandkids are breathing the air, if I can go out and take samples off the windshield, obviously it's in the air and they're breathing it," says Muscatine Resident Gloria Philpott.
She has lived in Muscatine since 1960. She started paying attention to the air quality when her grandchildren began arriving.
"Rather the kids didn't play outside when it's bad because they both have allergies, and it's not good on them."
She brought dust samples to the meeting. Showing the experts what she finds out in the field.
Iowa DNR Air Supervisor Jim McGraw says that's good.
"We're not here everyday so it's good to hear concerns from real people and it gives us a chance to show people what we are working on."
He says Muscatine's air has too much industrial pollution in it. They know it's coming from Muscatine's factories but some of it blows in from other areas. So they want the factories to raise their smoke stacks, cut back on some of their dirty processes, and beef up their emission equipment. To cut down on homegrown air pollution.
"They've been working quite a bit over the last few months to try and identify how they can reduce those emissions," says McGraw.
The DNR is waiting for the EPA to sign off on that plan. And will have to begin working on reducing another pollutant. But Philpott wants to see the process move faster.
"I think they're making an effort, I think they have a long way to go but I do believe they're working on it I'm just hoping it's solved soon," says Philpott.
