Top Three Reasons Why the Bad Manure Bill is Actually Bad

During today's debate regarding Senate File 418, legislation that creates a loophole for factory farms, you'll hear a lot of industry propaganda...

Today we will hear false statements on the Senate floor, by Democrats and Republicans alike, that this bill is somehow meant to protect the environment because dumping overflowing toxic manure into an abandoned factory farm during bad weather is safer than spreading it on frozen or snow-covered ground.  But this is a false comparison and is simply not true.  There is a third option that was contemplated by legislators and regulators over five years ago that put the responsibility on the industry to solve this problem, and that is the correct approach we must continue to demand now.

1.  Industry says this bill is meant to protect the environment - it's a cover to create loopholes.

They argue that dumping overflowing toxic manure into an abandoned factory farm during bad weather is safer than spreading it on frozen ground. This is simply not true. When you put manure in an old, abandoned facilities - it's dangerous. It's prone to leaks, spills, and accidents. Any amendment to this legislation is lipstick on a factory farm pig - there is no such thing as an emergency that would require dumping overflowing manure into an abandoned factory farm.  That’s not an emergency, that’s bad management.  Winter comes every year, and extreme weather is the new normal.  The industry has had years to figure this out.”

2. Leadership in both parties claim this bill is the lesser of two evils - it's actually just bad.

After a 2009 law banning liquid manure application on frozen and snow-covered ground, the Environmental Protection Commission gave factory farms a five year window to come into compliance with the new law by either building extra storage capacity, reducing heard sizes, or taking other steps to properly manage their manure. This bill undos the previous protective legislation - factory farms don't have to come into compliance or properly manage their manure now - they can just store it in an abandoned facility.

2. We have 628 polluted waterways in Iowa - this legislation doesn't mention a single solution

Under the cover of "environmental protection", both Democrats and Republicans have pushed a bill that creates loopholes for factory farms and puts Iowa's water at risk. We've got 628 impaired waterways in Iowa - when will our elected officials start talking about solutions?

Iowa CCI members will continue to fight for our vision of good government that puts communities before corporations and people before profits, politics, and polluters.Call Senate Majority Leader Michael Gronstal TODAY at (515) 281-3901 and tell him, "Shame on you for supporting the bad manure bill. Iowa needs to start talking about solutions to our polluted water - not adding to the problem."