This letter was faxed to me by a farmer in Nashua who heard the Sierra Club radio ads regarding CAFO legislation.  Mr. Sinnwell is trying to get this letter spread to farm/commodity organizations and the members of those organizations throughout Iowa.

Dear people of Chickasaw County, Floyd County, Butler County, etc...

A possible questionnaire for the Farm Bureau and other farm organizations that I belong to:

1. Are you for more monitoring and regulation of large animal feeding pits/lagoon operations concerning water and air quality? (i.e. test wells for leaking pits, air standards for the workers within the building as well as outside)

2. Are you for a statewide temporary halt of the expansion of existing and new pits/lagoons for feeding operations until the state sets new standards based on science?

3. Are you for a per head of animal tax to fund the necessary inspectors to monitor these pits/lagoons?

4. Do you as a member feel that the organization is being responsive to your viewpoints or is it catering to the large animal feeding industry?

5. Do you feel your organization is being helpful or impeding new legislation to monitor the water and air quality issues brought on by large animal feeding pit/lagoon operations?

6. Do you feel that large animal feeding operations with investor shareholders and do not qualify for the farm family tax credit should be taxed at the industrial property tax rate to cover extra maintenance of the roads they use?

7. As a member, would you like the results of this survey published in the local and statewide newspaper?

8. Would you like the individual county results and the statewide results published?

As a member of your farm groups, feel free to clip this out and send it to each of them.  Be honest and identify yourself as a true member.  Share it with a friend.  Send a copy to your local officials, state rep., state senator and governor.  Be honest and identify yourself as a true voter and resident of Iowa.  Feel free to have this reprinted in any local newspaper.

As an organization feel free to respond to your membership.

Got nerve?

Leonard Sinnwell
Nashua



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