HEFTY FINE: Environmental Violations At Junkyard

A northern Iowa salvage yard owner will have to pay more than $40,000 for environmental violations. 

In 2010, Attorney General Tom Miller filed a lawsuit alleging numerous environmental violations at The Junkyard in Latimer. The alleged violations had been going on since 2009, when the Iowa Department of Natural Resources issued an administrative order to address them.

This week, a Franklin County judge ordered 57-year-old Jerry Passehl to pay fines for solid waste and storm water discharge violations. 

The judge also ordered Passehl to bring his facility up to compliance with environmental standards.