Location
States
Iowa, Missouri, NebraskaEcosystem
River/streamOverview
The Nishnabotna Fertilizer Spill originated in Red Oak, Iowa, in Montgomery County from March 9-11, 2024. Approximately 265,000 gallons of liquid nitrogen fertilizer was released from the NEW Cooperative Inc. facility into a stormwater drainage ditch and then flowed into the East Nishnabotna River. The release resulted in a fish kill that extended over 60 miles from the facility to the confluence of the Nishnabotna and Missouri River. The Nishnabotna River is a tributary of the Missouri River that flows through southwestern Iowa, northwestern Missouri, and southeastern Nebraska.
Trustees
Under the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act, and implementing regulations, the The Missouri Department of Natural Resources (MoDNR), Iowa Department of Natural Resources (IDNR), Nebraska Department of Environment and Energy (NDEE), and the U.S. Department of Interior (DOI) through the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) are Trustees for natural resources such as fish impacted by the Spill. As Trustees, the MoDNR, IDNR, NDEE, and DOI serve as stewards for natural resources and their supporting habitat and have the authority to assess whether the resources and their services have been injured as a result of release(s) of hazardous substances.
Natural Resource Damage Assessment and Restoration Process
The process through which the Trustees evaluate injuries to natural resources associated with the release(s) of hazardous substances and determine appropriate compensation for those injuries is called natural resource damage assessment and restoration (NRDAR). DOI promulgated and published NRDAR regulations in the Federal Register (43 CFR Part 11.). These regulations provide procedures by which trustees can identify natural resource injuries, quantify those injuries, determine appropriate compensation (damages) for the injured resources and the services they provide, and restore those injured resources. The NRDAR process includes the following steps:
- Pre-assessment
- Assessment planning
- Assessment
Post-Assessment Restoration Planning and Implementation
DOI, MoDNR, IDNR, and NDEE have begun a NRDAR for the Nishnabotna Fertilizer Spill. The Trustees completed a Preassessment Screen and Determination in November 2024 and, in accordance with applicable regulations, concluded that preassessment criteria were met and that natural resources over which the Trustees many assert trusteeship have been or may have been impacted.
