More Than CAFOs Stink

Dear Friends,

The Iowa state legislative session is more than halfway over, but in all honesty, any hope to see attention given to the regulation of CAFOs seems to have been eradicated with the dismissal of Rep. Mark Kuhn’s addition/amendment to the odor regulation study in which he asked all new confinements to submit to meeting the air quality standards in a recent ISU study.

Rep. Kuhn was fully aware that this was a very small step, but it would have at least given us air quality standards, something Iowa currently does not have.  And it would have meant all new CAFOs, before being cited, would have to agree to meet those standards.  Despite the hundreds of studies that have been done all over the country, including Iowa, we still don’t have verifiable standards to address the multitude of problems being caused by poor and dangerous air quality. 

A temporary moratorium was off the table.  Nor was anyone willing to consider local control. 

Why would they?  Without legislation to give us back our VOICE (Voter Owned Iowa Clean Elections), issues like local control will simply be pushed back time and again.  Farm Bureau and Iowa Pork Producers will always be able to find some “sweet little 60 year old lady” or some “wholesome Iowa farm boys” to tell a story about all the good that comes from large confinements.  And as long as they have the money to make sure those stories are the ones the public hears – the fight for effective regulation will be thwarted.      

So, maybe it’s time to switch tactics -- in a big way.  Maybe it’s time to take back the Statehouse by getting actively involved in electoral politics.  It may be the only way things are going to change.  Instead of always having to fight for crumbs – we need to have legislators in place who truly represent the will of their constituents. 

If 68% of Iowans say they support local control, we shouldn’t still be talking about odor control studies.  It may take some time, but we need to be electing officials who will take this issue on and will promise to get something done.  And we need to hold them to it. 

Wendell Berry said, “The time is past when it was enough merely to elect our officials.  We will have to elect them and then go and watch them and keep our hands on them, the way the coal companies do…I believe in American political principles, and I will not sit idly by and see those principles destroyed by sorry practice.  I am ashamed that American government should have become the chief cause of disillusionment with American principles.”   

If you already have someone running for office that will stand up and work for local control – help them with their campaign.  If not – next time make sure you do – even if it’s you!!!

Keep reading and keep us posted about what’s happening.

Lynn Heuss