Iowa CCI Issues Action Alert on Bill That Would Severely Restrict Manure Ban on Frozen and Snow-Covered Ground

On Tuesday, February 9, the Iowa House Agriculture Committee unanimously passed out of committee HF 2324, a bill that would severely weaken a ban on the application of factory farm manure on frozen and snow-covered ground, according to a press release and action alert from Iowa Citizens for Community Improvement (CCI). The bill was pushed through the House Ag committee less than 24 hours after it was introduced late in the day Monday.

Grassroots activism won passage of the ban during the 2009 legislation. This new bill would grant an emergency exception to last year’s ban for all factory farms built prior to July 1, 2009 because of a lack of storage for their manure. This would encompass the vast majority of more than 5,500 factory farms in the state. “Poor manure management is not an emergency,” says CCI Executive Director Hugh Espey.

A similar bill, SB 2229 is also making its way though the Iowa Senate.

Resuming manure application on frozen and snow-covered ground would result in continued water pollution in a state that already suffers with some of the worst water quality of the nation. High levels of ammonia pollution all across Iowa have been traced back to manure application on frozen and snow-covered ground.

The Environmental Protection Agency came down strongly in favor of a ban without exceptions last year. Passage of this new legislation would be a clear violation of the Clean Water Act and would also undermine the Iowa Department of Natural Resources' authority to regulate factory farms.

Iowa CCI has issued an action alert to stop passage of this bill. Read the action alert here. http://www.capwiz.com/iowacci/issues/alert/?alertid=14668806&type=ML