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Protect Iowa's waters from harmful manure spills
You can take action on this alert by reading the information below and following the
directions at the bottom.
Tell the EPA you expect strong, proactive enforcement of clean water standards for livestock facilities.
[UPDATE: The deadline for taking action on this issue has been extended. The deadline to participate is now October 31, 2012.]
On July 12, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) issued a report criticizing the Iowa Department of Natural Resources’ handling of Clean Water Act standards meant to protect Iowa’s waters from manure spills from large livestock operations.
The DNR has responded to EPA, and now the EPA is seeking comments from the public on this issue. This means it is your turn to tell the EPA you expect strong inspections and enforcement of clean water standards for livestock facilities. Improved enforcement will prevent manure from spilling into Iowa’s rivers and lakes.
The EPA can determine whether DNR’s response is adequate. Now is your chance to encourage EPA to expect from the DNR, at a minimum, that:
• The Iowa Department of Natural Resources should conduct regular, proactive inspections of all large livestock facilities, including confinement facilities, to prevent or correct problems before spills occur.
• DNR should issue fines or penalties for all manure spills harming Iowa’s waters and for failure of livestock producers to correct serious management problems likely to result in a harmful spill.
• DNR should issue fines and penalties for manure spills that are large enough to deter livestock producer behavior that puts Iowa’s rivers and lakes at risk.
In addition, EPA should monitor whether Iowa’s legislature commits resources for staff at DNR to provide adequate enforcement. EPA’s final decision about DNR’s ability to adequately manage the Clean Water Act permit program should depend in part on whether those resources become available or not.
To view complete copies of EPA’s report and DNR’s response, or for more information on the Iowa Environmental Council’s position on this issue, click the "More" button, below.
To tell EPA to stand firm on keeping manure out of Iowa’s rivers and lakes, take action now.
Your message will be sent to each of the following targets:
Mr. Stephen Pollard
A sample message appears below, which you may edit before sending.
Protect Iowa’s waters from harmful manure spills
Dear Mr. Pollard,
The Environmental Protection Agency has correctly identified several shortcomings in the Iowa Department of Natural Resources’ protections of Iowa waters from harmful manure spills.
As an Iowan, I expect DNR to adequately protect the state’s waters. I hope EPA will set firm expectations to ensure this happens.
Specifically, EPA should expect that:
• The Iowa Department of Natural Resources should conduct regular, proactive inspections of all large livestock facilities, including confinement facilities, and ensure problems are prevented or corrected before spills occur.
• DNR should issue fines or penalties for all manure spills harming Iowa’s waters and for failure of livestock producers to correct serious management problems likely to result in a harmful spill.
• DNR should issue fines and penalties for manure spills that are large enough to deter livestock producer behavior that puts Iowa’s rivers and lakes at risk.
Funding for Iowa’s DNR has fallen in recent years, limiting the ability of the agency to fulfill its responsibilities. As Iowans, we will be asking the legislature to allocate additional funds to DNR for livestock operation inspections, permitting, and enforcement so that DNR has the capacity to effectively fulfill its Clean Water Act responsibilities. However, if Iowa’s rivers, streams and lakes continue to be vulnerable to manure spills, EPA will need to step in to protect Iowa’s waters. Your name and address here
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This Action Alert Campaign is Closed.
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