Donnelle Eller reported in today’s Des Moines Register that, “Iowa should strengthen rules that guide where large animal feeding operations can be built, a move that would give local communities more control over where facilities are located, a petition filed Tuesday with the state says.
“Iowa Citizens for Community Improvement and Food & Water Watch filed a petition with the Iowa Department of Natural Resources, seeking changes to the state’s animal feeding operation rules.”
Front Page of the Business section in Wednesday’s Des Moines Register (July 19, 2017).
The Register article noted that, “‘The master matrix has failed to fulfill its promise of giving communities a greater voice in factory farm construction and more protections from factory farm pollution,’ Iowa CCI said in a statement.
“The state’s ‘master matrix‘ provides a scoring system to determine whether large animal feeding operations meet standards for siting an operation.
“It guides maintaining separation distances from neighbors, water sources, schools, parks and other public places, and sets standards for facility construction and manure use.”
Today’s article stated that, “Counties can adopt the master matrix and score local projects, giving them a voice in whether the state accepts or rejects projects.
“Pat McGonegle, CEO of the Iowa Iowa Pork Producers Association, said the state’s master matrix is working.
“‘Iowa already has some of the toughest ag regulatory laws in the country and the pork industry is one of the most heavily regulated,’ he said in a statement. ‘The master matrix is a good system and it will continue to be without changes.'”
