Iowa Policy Project Report: State legislature failing to protect clean water

Governor Reynolds spending less on water quality improvement measures, while nutrient pollution from industrial agriculture isn't getting any better

An Iowa Policy Project (IPP) report released yesterday echoes the state’s own March 2019 progress report showing that Iowa’s voluntary nutrient reduction strategy is insufficient to protect water in Iowa or downstream. The report calls out the state legislature for failing to create any meaningful steps to clean up Iowa’s water crisis.

Members of Iowa Citizens for Community Improvement (Iowa CCI), who recently filed a lawsuit against the state in the fight for clean water, say this new report adds to the mounting evidence that the voluntary nutrient reduction strategy is not helping nutrient pollution get any better.

The report shows that total state spending on water quality has rapidly declined over the last three years. In 2018 Governor Reynolds signed a bill she touted as increasing funding for water quality. In reality though the state is still spending less than before the voluntary nutrient reduction strategy was even created.

 “Governor Reynolds and Republican leadership claim that more money is going to fund nutrient pollution clean-up, but the reality is they are spending less on water quality than before the nutrient reduction strategy was created,” said Cherie Mortice an Iowa CCI member from Polk County. “It’s no secret that the levers of power in the state have been out of whack for a long time. They have continually put the profits of corporate ag over our water, our air, and our quality of life.”

As funding for water quality improvement has decreased, factory farms – a known non-point source polluter – continue to expand at an alarming rate. One in four counties in Iowa have passed resolutions calling for change to this corporate controlled, polluting system of agriculture.

Iowa has over 10,000 factory farms and each year another 200-400 factory farms are built - a number that is anticipated to increase as the Prestage slaughterhouse comes online.

 “The increase in factory farms each year is directly related to the diminished and dangerous quality of our water,” said Barb Kalbach, an Iowa CCI member and 4th generation farmer from Adair County,“They produce over 22 billion gallons of toxic liquid manure each year, that is spread untreated across Iowa and ultimately makes it way to our waterways.”

“If the nutrient reduction strategy remains voluntary and factory farms keep going up Iowa’s water crisis isn’t going to get any better,” said Adam Mason, State Policy Director at Iowa Citizens for Community Improvement, “We need mandatory measures and a moratorium on new or expanding factory farms if we want to see any improvement in the over 750 impaired waterways we have in the state.”

In March, Iowa CCI along with Food & Water Watch and Public Justice, filed a lawsuit against the state of Iowa for failure to protect our right to clean water. The game changing lawsuit is calling for a mandatory nutrient reduction strategy and a moratorium on new or expanding factory farms.

“Iowan’s are tired of being told that our interests – our water, our health, our enjoyment of public waters, our drinking water, our pocketbook – must be compromised or balanced with those of corporate ag and other industries willing to destroy our lives for a profit,” said Mason, “Our lawsuit is holding our state to a higher standard – for us, for our kids, and for our grandkids.”