POWER GENERATION FACILITY

Sycamore Power Station & Regional Facilities

Johnston, IA

Documented asbestos exposure at Sycamore (IA) Power Station in Iowa. Facility history, exposure pathways, and legal options for affected workers and...

Questions about your exposure? (314) 237-3332 • Free & confidential case review

Johnston, IA

Operating Years —

Primary Operator —

Facility Type Power Generation Facility

Location Johnston, IA

About Sycamore (IA) Power Station

Location and Regional Context for Iowa workers

Sycamore Power Station operated in Johnston, Iowa (Polk County, northwest of Des Moines) as part of the central Iowa electrical grid serving residential, commercial, agricultural, and industrial customers throughout the twentieth century.

Sycamore Power Station sits within the central Iowa power-generation corridor, and the workers who built, maintained, and operated comparable facilities throughout Iowa — from the Des Moines metropolitan area outward through the surrounding Polk County communities and the wider central Iowa region — shared identical occupational profiles, identical asbestos-containing product exposures, and face the same diagnostic and legal landscape today. Laborers, pipefitters, boilermakers, and insulators frequently worked across state lines, moving between Iowa and neighboring-state job sites throughout their careers. A worker who spent three years at Sycamore and ten years at comparable regional power stations or comparable regional power stations may have cumulative exposure claims arising from multiple jurisdictions.

This regional overlap matters urgently in 2025 and 2026: Iowa workers with multi-state exposure histories need to evaluate their Iowa mesothelioma settlement and asbestos trust fund claims now, because Iowa’s two-year filing deadline under Iowa Code § 614.1(2) runs from the date of diagnosis.

Facility Infrastructure and Asbestos-Containing Materials Reportedly Present

Power generating stations of Sycamore’s type reportedly incorporated asbestos-containing materials throughout their infrastructure, including:

High-pressure steam boilers with extensive mechanical insulation
Miles of high-temperature steam and condensate piping
Turbine-generator units requiring thermal protection
Electrical switchgear and transformer systems
Coal handling equipment or fuel oil storage systems
Cooling water system components
Control rooms and administrative structures

Every coal-fired, oil-fired, or natural gas power generating facility built or substantially expanded before the mid-1970s reportedly made extensive use of asbestos-containing materials throughout original construction and subsequent maintenance cycles. That was the universal industry practice of the era — and it was equally true at Sycamore in Johnston, at comparable generating stations elsewhere in Iowa, and at industrial facilities throughout Polk County and the surrounding region.

General Equipment at Sycamore (IA) Power Station

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.

Boilers View crosswalk › Steam Turbines View crosswalk › Steam Traps View crosswalk › Condensers View crosswalk › Feedwater Heaters View crosswalk › Cooling Towers View crosswalk › Pipe Insulation View crosswalk › Block Insulation View crosswalk › Refractory Lining View crosswalk › Valves View crosswalk › Gaskets View crosswalk › Pumps View crosswalk ›

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.

Read these records as a floor, not a ceiling. NESHAP-reportable abatement only captures material that was formally removed under a notified, regulated project — typically during renovation or demolition. The following kinds of asbestos are NOT in the table below:

Asbestos-containing material still in place inside walls, ceilings, mechanical rooms, pipe chases, and steam systems
Material disturbed during routine maintenance, repairs, or small-scale work that fell below NESHAP notification thresholds
Material removed before the modern reporting regime took full effect (NESHAP enforcement strengthened in the late 1980s and 1990s — earlier work is largely undocumented in agency files)
Bystander exposure created when one trade's work disturbed asbestos that other workers nearby inhaled without ever being recorded

For workers active at this facility during periods earlier than these records, or in trades whose work routinely disturbed legacy materials without triggering notification, the actual exposure footprint is likely substantially larger than what state agency records alone document. Absence of a record is not evidence of absence of asbestos.

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:

Thermal System Insulation View crosswalk › Asbestos-Cement Board View crosswalk › Pipe Insulation View crosswalk › Roofing & Flashing View crosswalk › Spray Fireproofing View crosswalk › Floor Tile & Mastic View crosswalk › Ceiling Tile View crosswalk › Gaskets & Packing View crosswalk ›

Who May Have Been Exposed at Sycamore (IA) Power Station

High-Risk Occupations at Power Stations

Asbestos exposure at power generating facilities cut across multiple trades and job classifications. Workers in the following occupational categories may have faced significant exposure risks.

Insulators (Heat and Frost Insulators)

Heat and frost insulators at Iowa power facilities may have been exposed to asbestos-containing materials through work that included:

Mixing and applying asbestos-containing insulating mud and cement products
Cutting, sawing, and fitting pre-formed asbestos-containing pipe covering and block insulation
Applying asbestos-containing lagging cloth and tape to pipe joints
Removing and reinstalling damaged or deteriorated asbestos-containing insulation during equipment repairs
Working in boiler rooms and turbine halls where insulation debris allegedly accumulated on surfaces and floors

The Heat and Frost Insulators represented insulators at Iowa industrial stations including comparable regional power stations throughout the peak decades of asbestos use. Insulators who cut, fit, mixed, and installed asbestos-containing materials may have generated heavy dust concentrations in enclosed or semi-enclosed work areas. Insulators are statistically among the trade classifications with the highest rates of mesothelioma and asbestosis, and insulators who worked Iowa power facilities during the 1950s through 1980s are at particular risk of late-manifesting disease today.

Former insulators — or their surviving families — should be aware that Iowa’s 2-year asbestos statute of limitations under Iowa Code § 614.1(2) runs from diagnosis, not from last exposure. A diagnosis received today still creates a viable filing window — but that window closes two years from the date of diagnosis, and evidence becomes harder to gather with every month that passes. Do not assume you have time to wait. Contact an experienced asbestos attorney Iowa today.

Pipefitters and Boilermakers (UA Pipefitters; Boilermakers)

The UA Pipefitters (United Association of Plumbers and Pipefitters) is one of the largest pipe trades unions in the country. Its members worked extensively at Iowa industrial stations, industrial facilities, and chemical plants throughout the decades of heaviest asbestos use. Pipefitters may have been exposed through:

Installation, maintenance, and removal of insulated piping systems
Repairs and modifications requiring disturbance of asbestos-containing materials
Participation in scheduled boiler and turbine overhauls where asbestos-containing insulation was allegedly removed and reinstalled
Handling asbestos-containing gaskets, packing, and sealing materials
Work in confined spaces where asbestos fibers may have accumulated

The Boilermakers represented workers who performed intensive boiler maintenance and repair work at Iowa industrial stations. Boilermakers who may have worked inside boiler casings during turnaround outages — at Sycamore or at comparable regional power stations — allegedly faced some of the highest-concentration asbestos-containing material environments at any power facility. Boiler fireside work during an outage required working inside insulated enclosures reportedly lined with refractory and asbestos-containing materials, often without adequate respiratory protection by current standards.

Iowa members of the Pipefitters and the Boilermakers may currently pursue claims simultaneously through the civil court system and through asbestos bankruptcy trust filings. These two tracks run in parallel under Iowa law — filing a bankruptcy trust claim does not bar a civil lawsuit, and a civil lawsuit does not forfeit bankruptcy trust rights. A civil asbestos claim is filed in the Iowa District Court for the county where the exposure occurred — for exposure at Sycamore, that is the Iowa District Court for Polk County in Des Moines.

Members of these trades — and their surviving families — should act now, while both avenues remain fully available. Contact an Iowa asbestos attorney today. Do not wait — Iowa’s two-year deadline under Iowa Code § 614.1(2) runs from the date of diagnosis.

Electricians

Electricians at these facilities may have been exposed to asbestos-containing materials through work that included:

Installing and maintaining electrical panel insulation reportedly containing asbestos-containing materials
Working in switchgear rooms allegedly lined with asbestos-cement panels
Handling asbestos-containing arc chutes and electrical insulation materials
Exposure to asbestos dust from concurrent work by other trades in shared spaces

Boiler Room Operators and Maintenance Mechanics

Performed high-temperature equipment maintenance and repairs
May have removed and replaced boiler insulation reportedly containing asbestos-containing materials
May have been exposed to friable asbestos-containing materials during deterioration and disturbance events
Worked in the most heavily insulated zones of the facility

General Laborers and Outside Contractors

Handled and transported asbestos-containing products
Performed clean-up and debris removal following maintenance work
May have been exposed to asbestos dust that allegedly accumulated on floors, surfaces, and equipment
Often worked without specialized safety training or protective equipment

Both direct utility employees and rotating contract labor — including insulation contractors, pipe trades crews, and boilermaker teams — may have encountered asbestos-containing materials in concentrated quantities during specialized projects or boiler outages. Across the region, it was common for contract insulators and pipefitters to rotate between Iowa facilities such as Sycamore and comparable regional power stations in Iowa and neighboring states during seasonal outages. Workers who did so may have accrued exposure at multiple facilities across multiple states, potentially creating claims in multiple jurisdictions.

For Iowa workers with multi-state exposure histories, the urgency of evaluating claims within Iowa’s two-year window cannot be overstated. Reconstructing which facilities, which employers, and which jurisdictions apply takes time, and that reconstruction is often essential to pursuing every available legal claim across multiple claim types.

Secondary Exposure: Family Members and Wrongful Death Claims

Workers who may have been exposed to asbestos-containing materials at Sycamore Power Station — or at comparable regional power stations or comparable central Iowa industrial facilities — did not always leave their exposures at the job site. Asbestos fibers allegedly traveled home on work clothing, in hair, and on skin. Family members — spouses who laundered work clothes, children who embraced a parent returning from a shift — may have been exposed to asbestos fibers secondhand without ever setting foot on a job site. This mechanism, known as take-home or para-occupational exposure, is well-documented in occupational health literature and has supported mesothelioma and asbestosis claims brought by family members of industrial workers.

If a family member has died from mesothelioma or asbestos-related disease, Iowa law may support a wrongful death claim, subject to the two-year deadline under Iowa Code § 614.1(2).

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
Sycamore (Ia) Gt 1	1974	85 MW	Oil	N/A	N/A	Wh	Wh		Operating
Sycamore (Ia) Gt 2	1974	85 MW	Oil	N/A	N/A	Wh	Wh		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 a claim 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.

Firsthand Accounts from the Trades

Did you work at Sycamore (IA) Power Station? Add your account.

Records show what a plant was. They don't show what the work was like. If you were sent there — insulation, pipe, boilers, sheet metal, electrical, laborer — tell us what you remember: which units or buildings, what you handled, what came down during an outage. Every account helps another worker or a family understand where exposure happened, and where to look next.

About these accounts: they are personal recollections shared by workers and their families — individual memory, not records, and not independently verified. The site history and documented exposure record on this page come from public and regulatory sources. These accounts sit alongside that record — they add to it, they don't change it.

Who an asbestos claim is actually against. These claims are brought against the companies that manufactured and sold the asbestos-containing products used at industrial sites like this one — the insulation, block, cement, gaskets and packing. A claim of that kind is not aimed at the plant, at the people you worked alongside, or at your local. And adding your recollection here is not filing anything: it is a record of what was on site and how the work was done. We are an independent publisher, not a law firm.

Years you worked there Your trade

Who you worked for (the contractor, if not the plant) Local # (optional)

Your account

Not sure what's useful? A few things that help ›

Answer whatever comes to mind and skip the rest. Nothing here needs looking up, and a half-remembered name is worth more than a blank.

Any names you remember. On the bags and boxes the material came in, or stamped on a boiler, pump or valve. Even half a name helps — it's the hardest thing to recover this far on.
Who you worked for, and who else was out there. Most men were hired by a contractor rather than the plant, and the insulation crew was usually a different outfit again. If they were working over your head, that counts too.
When, as close as you can get. "Summer of '73" tells us more than "the seventies."
Outages and tear-outs. Shutdown work is when the old lagging came off in quantity — hot, dusty, and usually the worst of it.
Men you worked alongside. First names, or even nicknames. Someone who was there with you is worth a lot.
Whether the hall sent you. If you were dispatched out of a local, there may still be a record of which jobs and when.

Other sites you worked (optional — plants, refineries, powerhouses, schools; we may not have pages for them yet)

Credit as (first name or initials recommended — this appears publicly) Email (only if we may follow up — never shown)

Reviewed by our team before it appears — for accuracy and your privacy. Published as a clearly-marked worker account, kept separate from the site's documented record. We never publish your email. Any other sites you name go on our list to research — if we can document one from records, it becomes a page. We're an independent publisher, not a law firm, and this is not legal advice.

What asbestos exposure pathways are associated with Sycamore Power Station & Regional Facilities?

Pathways in this report refer to commonly used asbestos-containing material systems at power generation facilities that may contribute to exposure practices, fiber transfer, and deposition. Activities include maintenance, repair, overhaul, and demolition across these systems.

🏭

Facility History

Construction during the high-pressure steam era (1950s–1970s)
Multiple boiler and turbine-generating units installed
Operated by regional utility under EIA registration
Underwent system overhauls and unit additions

⚠️

Pathway Summary

Boiler room insulation work during construction and maintenance
Turbine casing and pipe-covering replacement activities
Valve packing and gasket replacement throughout plant life
Refractory brick and castable installation in furnace areas
Spray fireproofing application on structural steel

📋

Evidence & Sources

EIA Form 860 — generating unit registration records
Iowa DNR air quality and abatement notifications
OSHA/EPA inspection and compliance records
Boiler registry and safety inspection records
Facility construction and equipment specifications

Evidence & Public Records

VIEW ALL RECORDS →

Source Type	Key Items	Date Range	Source (Level)	Notes
Public Equipment RegistryEIA	Boilers, turbine generation, fuel type, and capacity records	1970s–Present	Level 1A	Used for equipment, generation capacity, and operational activity documentation
State DNR RecordsIowa	Demolition, renovation notifications, and certification activity	1990s–Present	Level 1B	Supports material category documentation and trade activity
OSHA / EPA RecordsFederal	Inspections, enforcement, compliance, and regulatory publications	1970s–Present	Level 1B	Includes regulatory records relevant to facility activity and material use
Facility RecordsPrimary	Plant records, permits, reports, and facility specifications	Construction–Present	Level 4	Publicly available facility records and historical documents

Skilled Trades Exposed at Industrial Facilities Like This One

Asbestos exposure at industrial jobsites concentrated in the skilled trades that built, operated, and maintained the plant:

Operating Engineers Boilermakers Pipefitters & Steamfitters Electricians Millwrights Iron Workers Pipe Coverers & Insulators Sheet Metal Workers Refractory Bricklayers Power Plant Operators

Sycamore (IA) Power Station — Frequently Asked Questions

Is Sycamore (IA) Power Station documented in asbestos litigation records?

Yes. Sycamore (IA) Power Station is documented in public asbestos litigation records, EPA NESHAP filings, OSHA inspection logs, and/or state regulatory databases. Workers at industrial facilities of this era routinely encountered asbestos-containing materials in pipe insulation, gaskets, packing, boiler block, refractory products, floor and ceiling tiles, and electrical components.

Which workers had the highest asbestos exposure at Sycamore (IA) Power Station?

Trades with documented asbestos exposure at industrial facilities include pipefitters, insulators (laggers), boilermakers, millwrights, electricians, welders, sheet-metal workers, plumbers, carpenters, machinists, painters, and general laborers. Maintenance crews, refractory bricklayers, and shutdown contractors often had the most concentrated exposure during overhaul and tear-out work.

What asbestos products did workers handle at Sycamore (IA) Power Station?

Asbestos-containing products commonly documented at industrial facilities of this era include thermal pipe lagging and block insulation (steam lines, valves, boilers), asbestos cement, refractory brick and burner-front gun-block, gaskets and braided packing (valves, pumps, flanges), boiler-tube insulation and lagging, vinyl asbestos floor tile, acoustic ceiling tile, and asbestos-containing transite board. Specific product manufacturers are catalogued at AsbestosIndex.

Is there a deadline to file an asbestos claim in Iowa?

Iowa law gives 2 years from the date of medical diagnosis to file a personal-injury asbestos lawsuit. Wrongful-death claims must be filed within 2 years from the date of death. The two deadlines run on separate tracks. The personal-injury clock starts at diagnosis, not at exposure — mesothelioma latency is typically 20 to 50 years.

Who else besides Sycamore (IA) Power Station workers may have been exposed?

Yes. Spouses who laundered work clothing carrying asbestos fibers and children of workers who returned home covered in dust are recognized in Iowa asbestos litigation as eligible for secondary (household) exposure claims when they have been diagnosed with an asbestos-related disease. Wrongful-death claims may be filed by surviving family members.

Can workers file both a civil suit and trust-fund claims?

Yes — more than 60 asbestos bankruptcy trusts hold combined funds set aside specifically for victims of asbestos-related disease. Trust-fund claims and civil lawsuits run on separate tracks; both can be pursued in parallel. Each trust has its own filing requirements, exposure criteria, and processing timeline.

Disclaimer: The information in this article is for general educational purposes only and does not constitute medical or legal advice. No attorney-client relationship is created by reading this site. References to companies, products, and facilities are drawn from public asbestos litigation records, court filings, and regulatory databases. Consult a licensed physician for medical guidance and a qualified attorney for legal advice regarding your specific situation.

Sponsored Attorney — Attorney Advertising

Mesothelioma Attorney for Iowa Asbestos Claims

If you were diagnosed with mesothelioma, asbestosis, or another asbestos-related disease after being exposed to asbestos — or you lost a loved one to one — you and your family may have a legal claim and civil claims. An experienced asbestos attorney can evaluate the case — at no cost to you.

Living with a diagnosis?

If you were diagnosed with an asbestos-related disease, a filing deadline may already be running. You may have a legal claim now — and claims can often be pursued even if the company is out of business.

Lost a loved one to mesothelioma?

Surviving spouses and children may pursue a wrongful-death claim and asbestos-trust recovery on a loved one's behalf — a separate deadline that can run from the date of passing.

Free case review — no obligation to hire
No attorney fee unless a financial recovery is made
Personal-injury and wrongful-death claims both evaluated
Trust-fund claims and civil lawsuits pursued simultaneously
Filing deadlines may limit the time you have — the sooner the better

Call: (314) 237-3332 Free consultation — available now

O'Brien Law Firm

Attorneys with experience handling Iowa claims · Asbestos & Mesothelioma Claims

Get a Free Case Evaluation

Attorney Advertising. This website is published by Rights Watch Media Group LLC, an independent media organization, and is not a law firm. Visiting this site or submitting this form does not create an attorney-client relationship. O'Brien Law Firm works with attorneys with experience handling asbestos and mesothelioma claims in Iowa. Free consultations are offered at no obligation. Legal representation is provided on a contingency basis — there is no charge unless a financial recovery is made on your behalf. Individual results vary; past results do not guarantee future outcomes. Inquiries submitted to iowamesothelioma.com are routed directly and exclusively to O'Brien Law Firm. Rights Watch Media Group LLC is an independent publisher and is not a lawyer referral service. We do not sell or share inquiries with other firms.

← Asbestos Exposure at Walter Scott Jr. Energy Center: What Iowa workers and families Need to Know

Free Legal Consultation O’Brien Law Firm · Asbestos & Mesothelioma

Free Case Review ›

O'Brien Law Firm Free & Confidential Case Review

(314) 237-3332