Iowa Coalition, State Legislators call for CAFO moratorium; Strengthened regulations

Iowa Alliance for Responsible Agriculture (IARA), a coalition of 27 state, community, and national organizations, called on Iowa state legislators to support 15 bills introduced by Senator David Johnson (I-Ocheyeden) that would strengthen how animal feeding operations are regulated in Iowa at a January 16, 2018 press conference held at the Iowa State Capitol.

The bills include a moratorium on new or expanding concentrated animal feeding operations (CAFOs) until there are fewer than 100 water impairments in Iowa and the Master Matrix is addressed.

There are 750 water impairments in the state with over 1000 impairments, and over 20 counties have called for changes to the Master Matrix this past year.

Senator Johnson was one of 12 legislators and stakeholders that developed the Master Matrix in 2002. Over the last two years he logged thousands of miles traveling throughout the state listening to citizens share stories of how CAFOs impacted their lives.

“As a result of my travels I am joining other lawmakers in introducing a series of bills designed to close many loopholes in current confinement laws. We are not just pointing out problems. We are offering solutions. Some address specific issues like separation distances. Others are broader in scope, such as the call for a moratorium on new CAFO construction until the Legislature gets serious about the failings of the Master Matrix and reducing the number of impaired waters in the state,” Johnson said. “At a time when the DNR livestock compliance division has been literally cut to the bone, it’s time for the Legislature act.”

Representative Sharon Steckman, (D-Mason City) is introducing several companion bills in the Iowa House. She said, “Despite the use of the Master Matrix, hog CAFOs are being built near a trout stream, on fragile karst topography, near sinkholes and farm wells, and precariously close to water sources. If we want the quality of life that would encourage people to live here, we must solve this problem. This land and water has been entrusted to us. We must protect it for future generations.”

Others voiced support for Senator’s Johnson bills.

Bill Stowe, Des Moines Water Works CEO and General Manager, addressed the threat of nitrate pollution to public water supplies. In 2015, the DMWW spent $1.5 million on nitrate removal to protect its 500,000 customers.

“State Senator David Johnson is challenging his legislative colleagues to go beyond mere lip service to environmental protection by demanding that the State place a cap on further Confined Animal Feeding Operation (CAFO) permitting until real environmental progress is made by reducing the number of Iowa surface waters impaired by public health risks. It’s past time for Iowa to reclaim its leadership role in protecting our source waters. Please join us in supporting and demanding measurable and sustained improvements in the water quality of Iowa’s rivers, lakes and streams,” said Stowe.

Sue George, a Howard County resident with Northeast Iowans for Clean Air and Water, spoke about a CAFO in her neighborhood sited on environmentally fragile terrain fraught with numerous sinkholes. “We did all we could to stop new hog confinements in the karst terrain of Northeast Iowa where a manure spill or a leaking pit could be catastrophic. The system within the state failed us. The DNR’s regulations failed us. We feel that the laws and regulations in Iowa must change now.”

Chris Peterson, a life-long, independent, sustainable pig farmer and founding member of IARA stated, “I am appalled and heartbroken about the state of rural Iowa as we’ve lost 94% of our independent family hog producers. We have seen explosive growth of industrial hog feeding operations moving in which have caused massive health, environmental, and quality of life issues across this state. This is why the Iowa Alliance for Responsible Agriculture supports Senator Johnson’s moratorium so we can hopefully revise the Master Matrix and get our waters of the state cleaned up.”

Iowa currently has 22.8 million pigs (USDA figures) producing approximately 10 billion gallons of manure each year (Iowa DNR figures). There are approximately 13,000 CAFOs in Iowa, according to the DNR.

Following the press conference, concerned citizens attended a Lobby Day with Iowa legislators to encourage their support of the moratorium bill as well as the 14 other bills that Senator Johnson introduced to close regulatory loopholes.

IARA is a coalition of 27 community, state, and national organizations calling for a CAFO moratorium until there are less than 100 water impairments in Iowa.

IARA is comprised of the following organizations: Blue Planet Groupe; Dallas County Farmers & Neighbors; Des Moines County Farmers & Neighbors for Optimal Health; Des Moines Water Works; Food and Water Watch; Henry County Farmers & Neighbors; The Humane Society of the United States; Iowa Citizen Action Network; Iowa Citizens for Community Improvement; Iowa Citizens for Responsible Agriculture – Worth County; Iowa County Farmers & Neighbors; Iowa Farmers Union; Iowa Sierra Club; Jefferson County Community Rights Network; Jefferson County Farmers & Neighbors, Inc.; Linn County Farmers & Neighbors; Organic Consumers Association; Partners for the Future: Dickinson County Land, Air and Water; Poweshiek CARES; Relish Restaurant; Socially Responsible Agricultural Project; South Boone County Farmers & Neighbors; Southeast Iowa Sierra Club; Sustainable Iowa Land Trust; Walnut Neighbors; Women, Food and Agricultural Network; and Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom.

For more information, a fact sheet on the moratorium bill can be found online at: http://cleaniowanow.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/Why-We-Need-a-CAFO-Mo...