All,
please consider submitting brief comments to the Iowa DNR encouraging them to move forward with rules that will put construction deadlines on new factory farms. Current rules allow sites to be barely started, then left virtually abandoned indefinitely. This can cause significant soil erosion, but also allows facilities planned or started years ago to be grandfathered in under old, less protective environmental and health regulations. The following action alert has good talking points courtesy of Kari at Iowa Citizens for Community Improvement.
thanks,
tarah 

Today is the last day to make comments on DNR's rule to impose a deadline for when construction must be completed. Right now, a factory farm must start construction within a year or the permit expires. However, starting construction is little more than dirtwork- starting to dig the pit. There is no timeline for construction to be completed.  

 In Davis County, Heartland Pork has 4 sites that were permited in 1998, after the initial dirtwork to keep the permit valid, they have done nothing more to the site s . They could come back now, 6 years later and build under laws in place in 1998. Swine graphics and Gary Weihs also have sites that have been permited, but the buildings were never built.

DNR's new rule would require them to complete construction within a certain timeframe or they lose the permit. That would mean that Heartland Pork and Swine Graphics could lose their permits for these sites.

Please submit comments today by midnight on these rules. Send comments via email or fax to Gene Tinker at [log in to unmask] or fax at 515/281-8895. Here are a few bullet points to make:

Comments for proposed rule to amend Chapter 65 - Definitions, Construction Permit Requirements, Master Matrix and Groundwater Determination.

* We support DNR's efforts to establish a deadline when construction should be completed. We think that DNR should consider changing the deadline to a shorter timeframe of 1 year rather than 3 years.

* Imposing this deadline will ensure that facilities are built to the most up-to-date regulations and laws.

* Imposing the deadline will help to reduce erosion problems that occur when factory farm sites have done nothing more than dirtwork and leave the site abondoned for several years.

* Most factory farms build within 6 months for their permit. Very few facilities would take longer than a year. The impact on factory farms would be minimal. However the positive impact that this could have on neighbors and the environment is great.

* No facility should be grandfathered in.

* This rule should go into effect immediately.

Send comments via email or fax to Gene Tinker by midnight today at [log in to unmask] or fax at 515/281-8895

Thanks All!


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