Farm Bill needs to address water crisis

Letter to the Editor in the Mason City Globe Gazette by CCI member Penney Morse of Osage, IA

Is our water making us sick? Iowa has the fastest growing rate of cancer in the United States and also has the second highest rate of cancer. Many communities and private wells are contaminated with nitrates from agricultural runoff. Though levels at or below 10 ppm (parts per million) are deemed safe, recent studies suggest amounts below 10 ppm are linked to several forms of cancer. The explosive growth of CAFOs (confined animal feeding operations) has been a major contributing factor to the nitrate contamination of our drinking water.

In addition to nitrates in the water in Osage and 11 other Iowa communities, we also have PFAS or PFOS (forever chemicals) above the proposed EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) limit. These chemicals entered the water supply either through their use in manufacturing or firefighting foam. There may be more communities with contaminated water. Testing water supplies has only just begun. Forever chemicals are also linked to several forms of cancer and other health problems.

Some farming communities in Maine, Texas, New Mexico and other parts of the country have found PFAS contamination in their soil. The land became contaminated when sludge from waste treatment plants was used as fertilizer or water contaminated by industry contaminated the soil. This is affecting their health and their livelihood as they cannot sell their products.

Help in mitigating these problems could come in the next farm bill. Our Senators, Chuck Grassley and Joni Ernst are members of the Senate Agriculture Committee and have an opportunity to advocate for the needs of Iowa’s farming communities. The proposed bill includes $53 million for watershed and flood prevention, which would help mitigate nitrate runoff and the Relief for Farmers Hit with PFAS Act, if included in the farm bill, would help understand the scope of the problem and provide relief for affected farmers. For all we know, there may be farmland in Iowa impacted by PFAS, but we haven’t tested for it.

Contact our Senators Grassley and Ernst and urge them to include funding for farming communities in addressing these two health threats faced by farming communities.

Penney Morse

Morse is a member of Iowa Citizens for Community Improvement and a resident of Osage.