Iowa DNR News
Environmental Protection

LANDFILL ISSUE DECIDED, AIR QUALITY NEAR CONFINEMENTS TABLED AT EPC MEETING

DES MOINES - The Environmental Protection Commission approved rules Monday
that provide a way to review the financial assurance of landfills.

The new rules should help ensure that landfills can adequately finance the
costs of their eventual closure, post-closure maintenance and possible
environmental protection actions.

In other action, commissioners took the recommendation of DNR Director Jeff
Vonk to table until August the potential regulation of air quality around
animal feeding operations.

While recognizing that this is an emotionally complex issue and that he's
received many comments on it, Vonk said he did not think it would be
beneficial to begin a round of public hearings without a thorough review of
the scientific literature.

"Any rule or conclusions we make need to be based on sound science and be
legally defensible," he said.

Vonk has asked for input from Iowa State University, University of Iowa and
the Iowa Department of Public Health.  He directed the DNR air quality
bureau to proceed with air monitoring, an internal literature review and a
design for information gathering.

In other action, commissioners approved a proposed rule to formalize an
agreement between the Iowa Cattlemen's Association and the DNR outlining the
Iowa plan for open feedlots.   The plan provides a three-step process to
bring open feedlots into compliance with existing laws that have not been
actively enforced.

Commissioners also voted to adopt a universal expiration date for manure
applicators' certificates and rules that allow gravity unloading of
aboveground slurry storage systems.

- 30 -



Kevin Baskins
Iowa Department of Natural Resources
(515)  281-8395
E-mail: [log in to unmask]

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
For SC email list T-and-C, send: GET TERMS-AND-CONDITIONS.CURRENT
to [log in to unmask]