DES MOINES &#8212 A national environmental group on Tuesday criticized reporting requirements for sewage spills in 10 states, including Iowa, saying the public is given little, if any, information about sewage being dumped in lakes and streams.

American Rivers released a report that said the 10 states either had no requirements for public notification when a spill occurs, or that the states implement such rules poorly.

Kevin Baskins, a spokesman for the Iowa Department of Natural Resources, acknowledged that the state has no requirements for reporting wastewater spills, but he said it does notify the public of many spills each year.

“As an agency, we’re very aggressive about getting the word out,” Baskins said.

He said many of the nearly 270 news releases from the agency since Feb. 1 were about sewage spills.

Baskins said the state now only requires operators of wastewater treatment plants to submit monthly operational reports but that many report bypasses and spills when they occur.

He said the state is considering enacting a requirement to report spills and bypasses when they occur, even those caused by periods of heavy rain.

“A bigger concern to us is bypassing because of mechanical failure or just inadequate systems to begin with,” Baskins said.

American Rivers, a nonprofit organization dedicated to protecting and restoring the nation’s waterways, is supporting federal legislation that would require public notification of a sewage spill.