Every five years, Iowa Department of Natural Resources (DNR) reviews and makes changes to Iowa’s factory farm rules. Iowans have a chance to weigh in and demand the rules be strengthened and close corporate ag loopholes that allow factory farms to run rampant around Iowa.
Together we must tell the DNR that Iowa needs:
» Tough regulations to protect our water, air, and communities. One big way to give some teeth to the factory farm regulations on the books is to require a $5,000 minimum fine for any and all violations.
» Accountability by closing corporate factory farm loopholes. Iowans who have fought factory farms from coming in next door are sick and tired of them building just one or two hogs under the permit threshold so they can skirt around permitting laws. What happens today is 2,499 head factory farms are built one right after another under different LLCs.
» Transparency of manure application records and from factory farm stakeholders. We all know that Iowa has too much manure and one way we can prove that is by having access to manure application records — not just the plans.
» A moratorium on new and expanding factory farms.
For more information about the DNR hearing or how to challenge factory farms, call Iowa Citizens for Community Improvement at 515-282-0484.
Pat Bowen Iowa City