Here are the comments I made yesterday at the Environmental Protection
Commission meeting regarding the air quality report written by the Univ. of
Iowa and Iowa State Univ.

February 18, 2002

Environmental Protection Commission
Department of Natural Resources
Wallace Building
502 East 9th Street
Des Moines, IA 50319

Dear Environmental Protection Commissioners:

Thank you for this opportunity to comment on the "Iowa Concentrated Animal
Feeding Operations Air Quality Study," produced by the Iowa State University
and University of Iowa Study Group.  The Iowa Chapter Sierra Club is grateful
for the requests made by Gov. Vilsack and DNR Director Vonk to the
universities to address the public health and environmental impacts of
concentrated animal feeding operations (CAFOs).  The Iowa Chapter Sierra Club
is extremely concerned about the impacts of CAFOS on public health and the
environment and supports research done to determine the level of severity of
these impacts.

Research based on peer-reviewed articles published in scientific journals is
especially important at this time in Iowa.  We have reached the point when we
can stop the further degradation of our public health and environment by
creating protective standards, or we can continue to allow the practices of
industrial agriculture that threaten our air, our water, and our children's
future.

We have also reached the point in this state that we can decide to actively
promote and support our family farmers, by regulating the polluting practices
that give large industrial agricultural operations a competitive advantage
over smaller farmers.  By including a farm size limit, air quality standards
will not negatively impact small and medium-sized family farmers.

The Iowa Chapter Sierra Club applauds the efforts by the two universities and
hopes that real dialogue comes about because of the study.  We also hope that
the Iowa Department of Natural Resources proceeds with the rulemaking process
to create air quality standards based on the findings of the report.

Thank you.




Erin Jordahl
Director, Iowa Chapter Sierra Club
3839 Merle Hay Road, Suite 280
Des Moines, IA 50310
515-277-8868
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