About Iowa Power Des Moines Municipal Generating Des Moines Iowa
Iowa Power and Light’s Central Iowa Power Plant
The Des Moines Municipal Generating Station was one of central Iowa’s largest coal-fired steam generating facilities. Iowa Power and Light Company operated it for decades, supplying electricity to Des Moines and surrounding communities. The plant anchored Iowa’s electrical grid throughout much of the twentieth century and was a major employer in Polk County, drawing skilled tradespeople from across central Iowa.
Iowa Power and Light later merged into MidAmerican Energy. The plant went through multiple operational phases before eventual decommissioning and environmental remediation — the standard trajectory for aging coal-fired stations across the Midwest.
Why Asbestos-Containing Materials Were Standard at Power Plants
Coal-fired steam plants ran at extreme temperatures and pressures:
- Steam temperatures regularly exceeded 800°F
- High-pressure systems required heavy insulation to maintain efficiency and prevent catastrophic failure
- Thermal burn hazards created constant demand for heat-resistant materials at every stage of plant operation
Asbestos-containing materials solved all three problems cheaply and at scale. Power plants consumed them in enormous quantities across dozens of product types:
- Block insulation
- Pipe covering and wrapping
- Rope packing
- Gaskets and seals
- Insulating cement
- Canvas coverings
- Refractory materials
Industry procurement records, engineering manuals, and utility specifications from facilities across the country establish that asbestos-containing materials at plants like the Des Moines Municipal Generating Station were not exceptional — they were the baseline for every American coal-fired plant built between the 1920s and the late 1970s. Iowa Power and Light’s procurement practices during this era were consistent with those of comparable Iowa utilities and industrial employers statewide.
Workers at the Des Moines Municipal Generating Station may have been exposed to asbestos-containing materials from multiple major manufacturers. The products and suppliers below have been documented at coal-fired power plants of this type in Iowa and nationwide.
Corporation — Major Supplier to U.S. Power Plants
was one of the largest producers of asbestos-containing products in the United States and allegedly supplied utilities nationwide — including Iowa utilities — for decades. Products that may have been present at plants of this type include:
- Thermobestos® pipe covering — high-temperature insulation for steam and hot water lines
- Block insulation — molded asbestos-containing block used on large-diameter piping and boiler surfaces
- Asbestos-containing cement — used to seal joints, repair insulation surfaces, and coat irregular surfaces
- Asbestos rope and packing — used in valve stems, pump seals, and expansion joints
- Canvas coverings — asbestos-containing canvas applied over insulation for protection
’s internal documents — introduced in thousands of asbestos lawsuits nationwide, including cases brought in Iowa courts — show the company knew about asbestos hazards decades before it warned workers or the public. ultimately established the Personal Injury Settlement Trust**, one of the largest asbestos trusts in the country. Iowa claimants may file trust claims simultaneously with any Iowa court lawsuit. Trust assets are actively depleting — do not delay.
/ — calcium silicate pipe insulation® Calcium Silicate Insulation
(later related to ) manufactured calcium silicate pipe insulation®, a calcium silicate pipe insulation product that allegedly contained asbestos-containing fibers. calcium silicate pipe insulation moved through distribution networks to utilities and industrial facilities across the Midwest, including Iowa Power and Light facilities and comparable Iowa industrial employers.
Workers at this facility may have been exposed to asbestos-containing materials when calcium silicate pipe insulation insulation was cut, sawed, broken during removal, or disturbed during system modifications — all tasks that generated respirable dust in enclosed boiler rooms and pipe chases.
Internal documents produced in litigation — including cases filed in Iowa — show the company had knowledge of asbestos hazards associated with calcium silicate pipe insulation but did not adequately warn workers. The / Asbestos Personal Injury Trust** is among the trusts from which Iowa claimants may seek compensation. Because trust payouts decline as claims accumulate, filing promptly preserves the maximum potential recovery.
— Boiler Manufacturer and Supplier
(CE) manufactured industrial boilers and boiler components for coal-fired power plants across the country. Boilers manufactured or supplied by may have contained asbestos-containing materials including:
- Boiler block insulation — applied to boiler exteriors and drum surfaces
- Refractory and fireside insulation materials — used in high-heat combustion zones
- Insulating cement — used during installation and repair
- Asbestos-containing coatings — applied during original manufacturing
’s successor entities have faced extensive asbestos litigation nationwide, including claims brought by Iowa workers. Iowa members of Boilermakers Local 83 — whose jurisdiction covered major generating facilities in the state — may have worked on CE boilers at multiple Iowa Power and Light sites, including the Des Moines Municipal Generating Station.
— Pipe Covering and Block Insulation
(formerly Armstrong Cork) supplied asbestos-containing insulation products to U.S. power plants and industrial facilities throughout the Midwest. Products that may have been present at this facility include:
- Asbestos-containing pipe covering and wrapping materials
- Block insulation for boiler and steam system applications
- Asbestos-containing insulating cement
- Canvas coverings for insulation protection
Armstrong products have been documented at Iowa industrial facilities comparable to the Des Moines Municipal Generating Station, including plants in Cedar Rapids and Sioux City.
gaskets and packing — Gaskets and Packing Materials
gaskets and packing Inc. (now gaskets and packing) manufactured asbestos-containing gaskets, packing materials, and seals used in valve stems, pump seals, and flanged connections throughout power plants. Workers may have been exposed to asbestos-containing materials from gaskets and packing when removing, handling, or replacing gasket and packing components — tasks that required cutting, scraping, and wire-brushing that generated fine respirable dust. Members of Pipefitters Local 33 — which represented pipefitters and steamfitters at central Iowa industrial facilities — may have routinely handled gaskets and packing asbestos-containing products during the course of their work at this and comparable Iowa facilities.
— Valves with Asbestos-Containing Components
supplied valves to power plants throughout the United States, including Iowa utilities. Valves from Crane may have contained asbestos-containing packing materials, stem packing, and gaskets. Workers who performed valve maintenance and repair may have been exposed to asbestos-containing materials when disassembling or servicing Crane valves — particularly during hot-work shutdowns when large numbers of valves were opened, repacked, and reassembled simultaneously.
Industries —
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General Equipment at Iowa Power Des Moines Municipal Generating Des Moines 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:
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.