CCI Members a Powerful Presence at Environmental Protection Commission Meeting
IOWA CCI MEMBERS TESTIFY AT ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION COMMISSION MEETING
“It is unfortunate that the very agencies entrusted with protecting our environment are its most powerful enemies," said a aid CCI member to EPC
Davenport, IA: Tuesday morning over 30 members of Iowa Citizens for Community Improvement attended and testified at the monthly meeting of the Environmental Protection Commission in the Quad Cities area.
The Environmental Protection Commission (EPC) is the citizen oversight committee to Iowa DNR. Their 9 seats are filled with representatives from various industries, all appointed by Governor Branstad and approved by the Iowa Legislature
.This meeting of the EPC was timed just as Iowa DNR released their 2014 draft report on the impaired waters of Iowa, which indicated a hike of 15% over the last two years. The number of impairments rose from 630 in 2012 to 725 by 2014. Many of the CCI members offering testimony before the EPC shared impassioned concern over this most recent report. They pointed to rapid expansion of factory farms as one of the causes of high nitrate and phosphorous levels in Iowa’s waters.
”Does it matter that the number of impaired waterways in Iowa continues to rise unabated as we add 300 to 600 new factory farm facilities every year? Apparently not, as the Department of Natural Resources and the Environmental Protection Commission have continued to overturn decisions against further construction made at the local, county level.”, stated CCI member Shari Hawk of Ankeny, “It is unfortunate that the very agencies entrusted with protecting our environment are its most powerful enemies.
”Corporate agriculture insiders at Tuesday’s meeting shared their approval of the latest number of impaired waters. They contend that 73 waterways were removed from the list, indicating an improvement in the state’s water quality. Iowa CCI views this statement as another attempt by the industry to mislead Iowans into believing that the voluntary nutrient reduction strategy currently in place is effective. The fact remains that pollution levels are steadily on the rise and voluntary compliance just doesn’t work.
Other testimonies given by CCI members focused on the need for local control over factory farm construction across the state. They recognized that while it will take a legislative decision to enact full control on the county level, the EPC does have the authority to halt construction of new or expanding factory farms when county Boards of Supervisors appeal DNR permitting decisions.
“When Smithfield Foods of Virginia, or the Mashhoffs from Illinois, or Cargill from Minneapolis want that facility built, they will use their corporate might to strong-arm the people who live there. Is that right? Should out-of-state corporations decide how Iowans live?” asked CCI member Matthew Peirce of Iowa City.
Iowa DNR presented the total percentage of polluted waterways, of those tested, at 59% impaired, 22% potentially impaired, and 19% unimpaired.
“That means over 80% of the waters DNR tested are either impaired or potentially impaired, how is this not a crisis situation in Iowa?” said CCI organizer Jess Mazour.