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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