Iowa DNR Records Center

Did you know that…

• Members of the public have the right to view or obtain a copy of every* record that the DNR has in its possession? (*except confidential records, see below)
• There were 669 Open Records Requests fulfilled last year.
• Members of the public who visited the Records center during 2007 requested a total of 1,083 files?
• The top three (3) most frequently requested files by the public include Storm Water, Leaking Underground Storage Tanks (LUST) and Underground Storage Tanks (UST).

According to Chapter 22 of the Iowa Code as well as Chapter 2 of the Iowa Administrative Code 561, it states that all government records are open to the public, except for a few specific exceptions.

"…all records, documents, tape or other information stored or preserved in any medium, of or belonging to this state…" [22.1(3)]

And

"Every person shall have the right to examine and copy a public record and to publish or otherwise disseminate a public record or the information contained in a public records." [22.2(1)]

Within the Iowa DNR, there are two (2) ways for a member of the public to view or obtain a copy of a record that is in the DNR's files. Customers may contact the Records Center directly via phone, fax, letter or e-mail. We also encourage customers to visit the Records Center in person.

Confidential Records

Per Iowa law Chapter 22, Section 7 [22.7], there are currently over 50 categories of confidential records.

Examples include, but not limited to the following:

• Peace officer reports that are part of an ongoing investigation. [22.7(5)]
• Personal Information in confidential personnel records of public bodies. [22.7(11)]
• Financial information, which if released would give advantage to competitors and serve no public purpose. [22.7(25)]
• Although no confidential portions of these files can be released per the fee schedules: The State of Iowa does not release confidential information to the public.

DNR Records Center, Schedule of Fees:

Staff Time:
File search and preparation*	$20/hr
Specialized queries of databases	$35/hr
*fees will be charged for requests that take longer than one-half hour to process including researching, retrieving and copying documents.
Reproduction per sheet:
Copy of paper, roll film or fiche	$0.40
Faxed copies - per page	$1.00
Maps larger than 11"x17"	available by request
Digital image conversion per image:
from paper (PDF), 25 pgs or less sent by e-mail	no charge
26 pgs or more	$0.06 + 0.30 (CD)
from roll film (PDF)	$0.06 + 0.30 (CD)
from fiche, 16 & 35 mm (PDF)	$0.10 + 0.30 (CD)
Additional Services:
Database Copies	available by request
Shipping	available by request
If the estimated total fee for services exceeds $25, a 50% deposit will be required.

Payment

Payment for all copies must be made prior to receiving the copies. We accept cash, check, Visa or Master Card. If an estimate is required ahead of time, it will be an estimate only. Exact costs for a specific request will be provided after the conversion is completed. The customer will then be notified by a return phone call.

Wallace Building Record Center Hours

The Records Center is open 8:00 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday, except for legal holidays, for the public to view open records relating to environmental and conservation interests. It is located on the 5th floor of the Wallace State Office Building, 502 East 9th Street, Des Moines, Iowa 50319-0034. The phone number is 515-242-5818. Interested individuals can also contact us by e-mail at webmaster@dnr.iowa.gov.

DNR Air Quality Records:
7900 Hickman Road, Suite 1, Urbandale, Iowa 50322
phone number 515-281-6202.

DNR Water Supply Records:
401 SW 7th Street, Suite M, Des Moines, Iowa. 50309-4611
phone number 515-725-0280.

For specific questions or concerns regarding record files, please contact the specific section or bureau below for answers:
Contaminated Sites	Greg Fuhrmann	515-242-5241
LUST & Underground Storage Tanks	Sherry Blaisdell	515-281-8865
LUST & Underground Storage Tanks	Bonnie Garrison	515-281-6010
Sanitary Disposal Projects & Comprehensive Planning	Becky Jolly	515-281-8308
Household Hazardous Materials	Kathleen Hennings	515-281-5859
SWAP - Solid Waste Alternatives	Amy Wilken	515-281-0649
LAFA - Landfill Alternatives Financial Assistance	Amy Wilken	515-281-0649
LAG - Landfill Alternatives Grant	Amy Wilken	515-281-0649
Industrial Wastewater, NPDES	Steve Williams	515-281-8884
Municipal Wastewater, NPDES	Courtney Cswercko	515-281-4067
Animal Feeding Operations, NPDES	Reza Khosravi	515-242-6128

To review Iowa Administrative Code go to: http://www.legis.state.ia.us/IAC
Iowa Admin Code 561	Natural Resources Department
Iowa Admin Code 565	Energy & Geological Resources
Iowa Admin Code 567	Environmental Protection Commission
Iowa Admin Code 571	Natural Resource Commission
Iowa Admin Code 575	Preserves, State Advisory Board

For More Information
The Records Center staff strives to serve both the public and DNR staff by managing the Department's Records efficiently and with a high degree of integrity. For more information; Contact Leslie Leager at 515-281-4790 or leslie.leager@dnr.iowa.gov.