House Democrats



    For Immediate Release                       For More Information:

    December 5, 2001                               Representative Bill Witt
(319) 266-8831


    Representative Witt says a solution to the hog lot controversy is

    right under the Republicans' noses

    (Cedar Falls, Iowa) Although welcoming Legislative Republican’s
announcement they want to debate hog lot legislation next session, State
Representative Bill Witt said the Republicans "have missed several
opportunities to look at solutions that are good environmentally and
politically."

    Representative Witt offered legislation last year that would provide
objective criteria for siting livestock confinement operations that would be
reviewed at the local level. The bill, HF 380, died in committee. The bill
was patterned after an amendment that was introduced and defeated in 1998,
the last time the legislature debated the hog lot issue.



    "Our proposal follows a structure put in place in other areas of state
government," said Witt. "It blends detailed, uniform statewide criteria with
local oversight and management. It gives local citizens authority to conduct
a careful, standardized review. The appeal process makes it fair for all
parties involved."

    The bill would establish comprehensive site evaluation and risk
assessment criteria for the siting of livestock confinement feeding
operations. "It parallels what we’ve done with underground storage tanks and
brownfields," Witt said. "It requires the Department of Natural Resources to
adopt rules based on a risk based siting analysis that takes into account
various factors including topography, drainage patterns, seasonal airflows,
soils, hydrology, hydrogeology, population density, residential development
patterns, and land use planning factors."

    The bill does five things:

            1.. Establishes risk standards and criteria for siting
confinement operations.
            2.. Creates a county review process through a siting review
board.
            3.. Establishes an applicant appeal process.
            4.. Creates an incentive program to help mitigate the risks.
            5.. Requires a study of the social and economic impacts.
    "I am pleased that Republicans are willing to listen to the concerns of
Iowans," said Witt. "I look forward to working with them to find a sensible
and fair solution to the hog lot problem."

    Representative Witt is the ranking Democrat on the House Environmental
Protection Committee.

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