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Biden administration moves to protect Alaska wilderness; opening statements and first witness in NY trial; SCOTUS hears Starbucks case, with implications for unions on the line; rural North Carolina town gets pathway to home ownership.

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The Senate moves forward with a foreign aid package. A North Carolina judge overturns an aged law penalizing released felons. And child protection groups call a Texas immigration policy traumatic for kids.

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Wyoming needs more educators who can teach kids trade skills, a proposal to open 40-thousand acres of an Ohio forest to fracking has environmental advocates alarmed and rural communities lure bicyclists with state-of-the-art bike trail systems.

DNR Detectives on the Trail of Ammonia Source

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Thursday, March 13, 2008   

Des Moines, IA – As temperatures rise, snowmelt is sweeping pollutants into the drinking water supply for many Iowa cities. Des Moines Water Works has seen unusually high levels of ammonia in the Raccoon and Des Moines Rivers over the last two weeks, forcing them to increase the amount of chlorine used to disinfect drinking water.

Dan Stipe, Atlantic field office supervisor for the Iowa Department of Natural Resources, believes the high levels of ammonia is cause for concern.

"By the time the water gets to the Des Moines Water Works, we really shouldn't be seeing ammonia at these levels. It is indicative of something being wrong."

Stipe explains the chemical make-up of the ammonia suggests manure as a source and says they're investigating possible sources upstream in the watershed.

"I will have staff in the area looking at local practices that are in place. We'll be examining open feed lots, confinements and land application areas."

Stipe says high levels of ammonia have caused fish kills in the past, and this year fish are already stressed by cold and snow cover.


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