About Burlington Generating Station Burlington Iowa
Corporate Operators
Burlington Generating Station sits on the western bank of the Mississippi River in Burlington, Iowa. It operated for decades as a coal-fired power plant serving southeastern Iowa. Corporate control passed through several entities:
- Iowa Power and Light Company — early to mid-twentieth century operator
- Interstate Power Company — successor operator
- Alliant Energy Corporation — formed in 1998 through consolidation of IES Utilities, Interstate Power, and Wisconsin Power and Light; continues Iowa regulatory operations today through its Interstate Power Company subsidiary, regulated by the Iowa Utilities Commission
Coal-Fired Steam Generation: Why Asbestos-Containing Materials Were Used
Burlington operated through conventional coal-fired thermodynamic systems:
- Coal combustion produced steam
- High-pressure steam drove turbines
- Turbines rotated generators to produce electricity
- Condensers cooled exhaust steam and recycled it as feedwater
That process required operating temperatures exceeding 1,000°F and pressures measured in hundreds of pounds per square inch — conditions that demanded reliable thermal insulation. From approximately the 1930s through the late 1970s, asbestos-containing materials were the industry-standard insulation solution for high-temperature, high-pressure power plant systems. That pattern is documented at Iowa power generation facilities throughout that era. Workers performing insulation and maintenance work during those decades were typically given no warning of the health hazard those materials posed.
General Equipment at Burlington Generating Station Burlington Iowa
The equipment below represents the systems and infrastructure documented or typically present at this facility during the era when asbestos-containing materials were specified in industrial construction. This is general facility-equipment reference — not a legal attribution of any specific product, manufacturer, or exposure event to this facility. Material-category and manufacturer information is addressed in the AsbestosIndex Product Crosswalk linked under the records table below.
Documented Asbestos Evidence — Iowa
The records below are verified, state-documented asbestos removals at this facility. Each entry represents a regulated abatement project where the Iowa Department of Natural Resources (Iowa DNR) was notified under federal NESHAP rules, the work was logged, and the asbestos-containing material was confirmed and removed under regulated conditions. These are not allegations or estimates — they are paper records tying documented asbestos-containing material to this specific site.
No Iowa DNR NESHAP abatement notifications have been identified for this facility in current public records. Per the framing above, absence of state-agency documentation should not be read as absence of asbestos — only as absence of a formal, regulated abatement event meeting reporting thresholds. Workers who recall encountering pipe insulation, block insulation, gaskets, or other asbestos-era construction materials at this facility may still have viable claims regardless of whether a state record exists.
Material Categories in Documented Records
The materials documented above (and similar asbestos-containing materials commonly encountered in records of this type) appear in the AsbestosIndex catalog with historical manufacturer and trust-fund information. Click a category to view manufacturers historically associated with that material:
Who May Have Been Exposed at Burlington Generating Station Burlington Iowa
Asbestos exposure at Burlington Generating Station was not confined to one trade. Multiple occupational groups may have been exposed simultaneously, often in confined spaces where fiber concentrations could reach dangerous levels.
Iowa union locals whose members reportedly worked at Burlington Generating Station and at comparable Iowa power generation facilities include:
- Asbestos Workers Local 12 (Iowa)
- Pipefitters Local 33 (Des Moines area)
- Boilermakers Local 83 (Iowa)
- IBEW Local 347 (Burlington and southeastern Iowa)
Members of these locals and their families who have received asbestos-related diagnoses may have significant legal rights under Iowa law — but those rights expire. Iowa Code § 614.1(2) gives you two years from diagnosis to file. If you have been diagnosed, contact an Iowa asbestos cancer lawyer immediately.
Insulators (Heat and Frost Insulators) — Very High Exposure Risk
Members of the Heat and Frost Insulators and Allied Workers — including members of Asbestos Workers Local 12 and affiliated Iowa locals who worked at power plants throughout the state — reportedly worked directly with asbestos-containing materials as a routine part of their daily work. High-exposure tasks allegedly included:
- Cutting asbestos pipe covering with saws or knives
- Mixing asbestos cement and applying it to surfaces
- Fitting pre-formed insulation sections around irregular pipe configurations
- Removing and replacing deteriorating asbestos insulation during maintenance cycles
- Installing spray-applied asbestos fireproofing in facilities constructed before the early 1970s
These tasks allegedly generated substantial airborne asbestos fiber concentrations. Local 12 members who traveled from job to job across Iowa — including assignments at Burlington Generating Station, industrial facilities in the Cedar Rapids and Des Moines corridors, and other Iowa utilities — may have accumulated significant cumulative asbestos exposure across multiple worksites.
If you are a former Local 12 member diagnosed with mesothelioma or another asbestos-related disease, Iowa’s two-year filing deadline under Iowa Code § 614.1(2) is running from the date of your diagnosis. Call an Iowa asbestos attorney before that window closes.
Pipefitters and Steamfitters — High Exposure Risk
Pipefitters and steamfitters — including members of Pipefitters Local 33 and affiliated Iowa locals who worked at Burlington Generating Station and comparable Iowa industrial facilities — may have been exposed during:
- Pipe installation and repair work requiring removal of existing asbestos insulation
- Valve maintenance and steam trap work involving asbestos rope packing and gasket materials
- Cutting into insulated lines to access piping beneath asbestos covering
- Handling asbestos rope packing and gasket materials from gaskets and packing, and other manufacturers
Local 33 members and other pipefitters who worked across multiple Iowa industrial sites may have exposure histories spanning several facilities. A multi-site exposure history can significantly strengthen a mesothelioma lawsuit in Iowa — but only if that claim is filed within the two-year statute of limitations.
Boilermakers — High Exposure Risk
Boilermakers — including members of Boilermakers Local 83 (Iowa) — who worked inside or immediately adjacent to boiler units at Burlington Generating Station may have been exposed during:
- Boiler construction, repair, and inspection work
- Replacement of asbestos refractory cement in boiler fireboxes
- Handling asbestos rope and packing materials in valve assemblies
- Work in enclosed boiler drums where prior insulation work had deposited residual fibers
- Boiler tube cleaning and replacement
Local 83 members who traveled between Iowa power generation facilities, industrial plants, and other boiler-intensive worksites may have accumulated cumulative exposure directly relevant to their legal claims. Iowa’s two-year filing window begins at diagnosis and does not pause. If you have been diagnosed, consult an Iowa asbestos attorney now — not next month.
Electricians — Moderate to High Exposure Risk
Electricians — including members of IBEW Local 347 (Burlington and southeastern Iowa) who worked at Burlington Generating Station — may have been exposed to asbestos-containing materials through:
- Electrical installation and maintenance work in proximity to insulated pipes, boilers, and ductwork covered with asbestos-containing materials
- Handling asbestos-containing electrical insulation in switchgear and panel boards
- Working in control rooms, cable trays, and conduit runs where asbes
Generating Unit Equipment — Public Registry
The following generating units are documented in the North American Electric Generating Plants database for this facility. This database is maintained by UDI/S&P Global and draws on federal EIA filings and state regulatory records.
| Unit | Year | Capacity | Fuel | Boiler Type | Boiler/Steam Sys Mfr | Turbine Mfr | Generator Mfr | Steam Params | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Burlington (Ia) 1 | 1968 | 212 MW | Coal | Tangent | Ce | Ge | Ge | 1800 PSI / 1000°F | Operating |
| Burlington (Ia) Gt 1 | 1995 | 22.5 MW | Gas | N/A | N/A | Operating | |||
| Burlington (Ia) Gt 2 | 1995 | 22.5 MW | Gas | N/A | N/A | Operating |
Source: UDI/S&P Global North American Electric Generating Plants database (NAMERICA 2025). Public reference data.
Iowa — Filing Deadline & Next Steps
Iowa law gives mesothelioma and asbestos-disease claimants 2 years from the date of medical diagnosis to file a personal-injury lawsuit (Iowa Code § 614.1(2A)). For wrongful-death claims after an asbestos-related death, the filing window is 2 years from the date of death (Iowa Code § 614.1(2)). The two deadlines run on separate tracks — preserving one does not extend the other.
The personal-injury clock runs from diagnosis, not from exposure. Mesothelioma latency is typically 20 to 50 years, so workers exposed in the 1950s–1980s are being diagnosed today.
Practical first steps
- Document what you remember. Pay stubs, W-2s, union cards, photographs, coworker names, and dates of employment. The WorkChain widget on this page can save a copy you can email yourself.
- Preserve medical records. Pathology reports, biopsy results, imaging, and pulmonary-function tests are central to both civil claims and trust-fund filings.
- Identify household members. Spouses who laundered work clothing and children of plant workers are eligible for secondary-exposure claims when diagnosed with an asbestos-related disease.
- Speak with an asbestos attorney with Iowa experience. The first conversation is free and confidential. Asbestos trust-fund claims and civil claims run on different tracks — both can be pursued in parallel.
Asbestos-Related Diseases — Iowa
Asbestos fiber exposure can cause several specific diseases that typically appear decades after the original exposure. The latency period — the gap between exposure and diagnosis — usually runs 20 to 50 years. That's why workers exposed in the 1960s, 1970s, and 1980s are receiving diagnoses today.
Mesothelioma
A rare, aggressive cancer that affects the lining of the lungs (pleural mesothelioma), abdomen (peritoneal), or heart (pericardial). Mesothelioma is almost exclusively caused by asbestos exposure, which is why a mesothelioma diagnosis often points directly to historical workplace exposure. Average latency from first exposure to diagnosis is 30-50 years.
Asbestosis
A chronic, non-cancerous scarring of lung tissue caused by inhaled asbestos fibers. Asbestosis causes progressive shortness of breath, persistent cough, and reduced lung function. It does not improve with treatment, and it is a recognized basis for compensation under most trust schedules and civil claims.
Lung Cancer
Asbestos exposure significantly increases the risk of lung cancer, particularly when combined with a history of smoking. Asbestos-related lung cancer is compensable under the same trust schedules and civil claim avenues as mesothelioma.
Other Recognized Diseases
Pleural plaques, pleural thickening, laryngeal cancer, ovarian cancer, and certain gastrointestinal cancers are also recognized as asbestos-related under various trust schedules and case-law authorities, though eligibility and proof requirements vary by claim type.
If you have any of these diagnoses and you worked at this facility, lived with someone who did, or were exposed in any documented capacity, you may have a claim worth pursuing. Speak with an attorney before assuming you don't qualify.
Data Sources — Iowa
Information about facility equipment, industrial materials, and occupational records referenced on this page is drawn from publicly available sources where applicable, including:
- EPA ECHO Facility Compliance Database — enforcement and compliance records for industrial facilities
- OSHA Establishment Search — federal workplace inspection history
- EIA Form 860 Plant Data — power-plant equipment and ownership records (where applicable)
- Iowa Department of Natural Resources NESHAP asbestos abatement notification records
- Published asbestos trial and trust fund records (publicly filed court documents)
- AsbestosIndex Product & Manufacturer Crosswalk — historical asbestos-containing product schedules linked to manufacturers
If specific equipment or product claims in this article are sourced from a non-public database, the source is identified parenthetically within the text above.