Forwarded by Jane Clark

PLEASE CONTACT GOVERNOR, URGE VETO OF SF 65

Please contact the Governor's Office now and urge Governor Vilsack to veto
SF 65 -- the "LIHEAP" bill (Low-Income HEating Assistance Program).
Although the goal of this legislation is worthy, the bill raids the
Groundwater Protection Fund of $6.5 million to pay for the energy
assistance.  This is an unprecedented attach on groundwater-protection
programs in Iowa!

Here are some arguments to use with the Governor.   Feel free to rephrase
the concepts into your own words.  Contact the Governor's office at
515-281-5211 or send an email through the Governor's website at:
http://www.state.ia.us/governor/comments/capitol_correspond/index.html
Please contact the Governor ASAP, because he will only have three days to
consider the bill once it hits his desk on Monday, Feb. 5.

Some suggested arguments to use:

o Iowa law establishes this fund to pay for groundwater protection, not for
other programs.

o Although energy assistance is a worthy goal, this is an unprecedented
attack on groundwater protection in Iowa.   Never before has the
Groundwater Protection Fund been used to pay for non-clean-water-related
programs.

o  The Groundwater Protection Fund is too important -- please veto this
bill to force the Legislature to reconsider sources of funding for the
energy-assistance program.

o The Groundwater Protection Fund was established by the Iowa legislature
in 1987 as part of Iowa's landmark Groundwater Protection Act and provides
funding for many programs that have truly made a difference in
protecting Iowa's groundwater and surface water quality.
o Programs that depend on the groundwater fund include:
- the Grants to Counties program that funds private well testing
and closure of abandoned wells
- the Landfill Alternative Assistance Program that supports
innovative ideas to reduce the amount of waste going to our landfills,
- research on alternatives to agricultural drainage wells
- the Leopold Center for Sustainable Agriculture at ISU
- the Iowa Waste Reduction Center at the UNI
- the Center for Health Effects of Environmental Contamination and
the state hygenics lab at the U. of Iowa.

Thank you for your help in this matter.   Please!  Contact the Governor
today!


-------------------
Mark O. Lambert
Executive Director
Iowa Environmental Council
711 East Locust St.
Des Moines, Iowa  50309
515/244-1194 phone
515/244-7856 fax
[log in to unmask]
http://www.earthweshare.org

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