Iowa Group Calls for Ban on New Livestock Facilities

A group in Iowa wants state lawmakers to ban the construction of animal confinements until Iowa’s water quality is significantly improved. With ties to the Humane Society of the United States, the Iowa Alliance for Responsible Agriculture is asking lawmakers to support 15 bills tightening oversight of confinements.

The Des Moines Register reports that the bills seek a moratorium on building or expanding concentrated animal feeding operations, until Iowa's list of impaired waterways shrinks from 750 to fewer than 100, and until the rules that dictate where confinements can be located are strengthened. The action is supported by Des Moines Water Works, which sued three rural counties in 2015 over high nitrate levels, but the lawsuit was dismissed.

Iowa Pork Producers Association President Curtis Meier argues that Iowa's pork industry is "already one of the most heavily regulated industries in the state and the call for stricter regulations is unwarranted.”

Source;  NAFB News