Iowa News Service - forwarded by Jane Clark There are now over 200 non-profit groups funding independent news services in WA,ID,OR,MT,ND,SD,IA,MN and more groups are pledging support in Utah, Nevada and New York. Iowa Chapter of Sierra Club is a member of this service. For the past three days the subjects of the "actualities" have related to environmental concerns. I have copied the script below that is read by the radio stations. The news service sends these items out to radio stations in Iowa and the average story count has increased to 55 stations per story. The Iowa News Service in total sent out 11 stories in April. Thanks to Kendra Kimbirauskas and Francis Thicke for participating. Recycling Old Homes May 14, 2003 Des Moines --- Many old houses throughout Iowa could be salvaged and the lumber recycled, rather than tearing them down and adding tons of debris at landfills. Comments from Lyle Ball, executive director of the Home Recycling Exchange. Suggested script: MANY OLD HOUSES THROUGHOUT IOWA COULD BE SALVAGED AND THE LUMBER RECYCLED, RATHER THAN BEING BULLDOZED AND SENT TO THE LANDFILL. LYLE BALL, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THE HOME RECYCLING EXCHANGE, SAYS YOU CAN NO LONGER BUY THE HIGH QUALITY MATERIALS USED TO BUILD THESE HOMES. Actuality Cut #52%%ID%% (TRT: 21) "Oak flooring, pine flooring, doors and windows that are the size that are needed for the renovation of older homes. Just about everything that is there, except for the two by fours and the foundation, is reusable." BALL SAYS REUSING OLD HOMES SAVES VALUABLE LANDFILL SPACE. Actuality Cut #53%%ID%% (TRT: 15)"The average home is 50 tons that goes to the landfill. So if you can save some of those materials, yes, you are keeping them out of the landfills and also if you are using it for renovating other homes then you are keeping those homes out of the landfill also." Suggested tag: BALL ESTIMATES A HOME OVER 50 YEARS OLD HAS AT LEAST 4 THOUSAND DOLLARS' WORTH OF MATERIALS, NOT COUNTING THE OLD FOREST TIMBER, THAT COULD BE USED. Editor's note: Lyle Ball is available for interviews at 515-282-9296. The Home Recycling Exchange is a non-profit organization that salvages old homes and makes those materials available at no or low cost to low income citizens renovating their own homes. Landmark Conservation Program Awaits Start-Up May 13, 2003 Des Moines---It was one year ago today (Tuesday) that the farm bill was signed into law, but there are still no Conservation Security Program rules, so Iowa farmers are unable to sign up. Comments from Fairfield farmer Francis Thicke (TICK-ee) Suggested script: IT WAS ONE YEAR AGO TODAY (TUESDAY) THAT THE FARM BILL WAS SIGNED INTO LAW. THE BILL CREATED THE CONSERVATION SECURITY PROGRAM, BUT RULES FOR THE PROGRAM STILL HAVEN'T BEEN DEVELOPED, MEANING IOWA FARMERS ARE UNABLE TO SIGN UP. FAIRFIELD FARMER FRANCIS THICKE BLAMES THE FOOT DRAGGING ON TWO FACTORS. Actuality Cut #50%%ID%% (TRT: 12) "I think it has to do with overload at U.S.D.A., but I think also because Congress has been playing games at times with the funding, threatening to take funding away and so on, now the funding looks pretty secure." THICKE SAYS ONCE THE CONSERVATION SECURITY PROGRAM IS UNDERWAY IT WILL LITERALLY CHANGE HOW FARMING IS DONE. Actuality Cut #51%%ID%% (TRT: 12) "The Conservation Security Program is really a whole change of policy. And that is, instead of paying farmers just to produce commodity crops, what we are doing is rewarding farmers for good stewardship, and so I think that is just a really big turn of events in U.S.D.A. policy." Suggested tag: THICKE SAYS AGRICULTURE SECRETARY ANN VENNIMAN HAS PROMISED THAT BY THE START OF THE NEXT FISCAL YEAR, EVERYTHING WILL BE IN PLACE. Editor's note: Francis Thicke is available for interviews at 641-472-8558 Runoff From Torrential Spring Rains Worrisome May 12, 2003 Des Moines---In last six weeks, Iowa has received double the usual amount of rainfall. Most of that water has run off into Iowa's rivers, lakes and streams with manure, phosphorus and topsoil washed along with it. Comments from Kendra Kimbirauskas (kim-BRA-kus) with the Iowa Sierra Club. Suggested script: IN THE LAST SIX WEEKS, IOWA HAS RECEIVED DOUBLE THE USUAL AMOUNT OF RAINFALL FOR THIS TIME OF YEAR. MOST OF THAT WATER HAS RUN OFF INTO IOWA'S RIVERS, LAKES AND STREAMS WITH MANURE, PHOSPHORUS AND TOPSOIL WASHED ALONG WITH IT. KENDRA KIMBIRAUSKAS WITH THE IOWA SIERRA CLUB SAYS NO ONE KNOWS HOW SERIOUS THE PROBLEM IS BECAUSE THE STATE IS NOT ENFORCING THE CLEAN WATER ACT, WHICH REQUIRES DISCHARGE PERMITS FOR LARGE AGRICULTURAL OPERATIONS. Actuality Cut #58%%ID%% (TRT: 17) "Currently, the state of Iowa is not issuing a single discharge permit. So, every operation that has a thousand animal units or more, that's 25 hundred hogs or more, or a thousand beef cattle, or 750 dairy cattle, are out of compliance with federal law." KIMBIRAUSKAS SAYS WITHOUT THE PERMITS, UNLESS THERE IS A MAJOR FISH KILL, NO ONE KNOWS HOW SERIOUS THE POLLUTION IS. Actuality Cut #59%%ID%% (TRT: 12) "The permits that are required by federal law actually call for regular monitoring, but If we don't have the permits, then there is no monitoring and no way of knowing what's happening." Suggested tag: ACCORDING TO THE LAST D.N.R. REPORT, IOWA HAS 188 IMPAIRED WATERWAYS. THE GOVERNOR HAS SET A GOAL OF HAVING NO POLLUTED WATERWAYS BY THE YEAR 2010. Editor's note: Kendra Kimbirauskas is available for interviews at 515-251-3995 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - To get off the IOWA-TOPICS list, send any message to: [log in to unmask]