For immediate release: March
13, 2006
Des Moines, IA –
Iowa Citizens for Community Improvement (CCI) blasted House Study
Bill 736, calling it the ‘factory farm immunity’ bill,
at a public hearing before the House Chambers at the state capitol
yesterday. The hearing was chaired by Rep. Sandy Greiner (R- Keota),
the lead factory farm advocate in the state legislature.
Six CCI members were among the speakers,
strongly questioning the intent and purpose of the legislation.
“All other businesses and factories must subject themselves
to rules and regulations,” said Carroll CCI member Vern Tigges
at the hearing. “Why should factory farms get immunity from
the very agency that is suppose to be regulating and prosecuting
them?”
HSB 736 would prohibit the Department of
Natural Resources or the Attorney General’s office from taking
enforcement action against a factory farm for an environmental violation
if the factory farm owner relied on an explanation from DNR staff.
The DNR and AG are both opposed to the bill.
“What's to stop an environmental violator
from extracting multiple consults from multiple DNR voices until
he hears the advice that's kindest to his bottom line?" questioned
Ackley CCI member Marian Kuper.
CCI members’ concerns with the bill
include:
· Draining the DNR’s limited
resources and staff time by encouraging factory farms to use the
tax-payer funded DNR for legal advice in an attempt to avoid future
enforcement action;
· Addressing a problem that does
not exist. HSB 736 is nothing more than a “solution in search
of a problem” pushed forth by the factory farm special-interest
lobby;
· Ignoring the real issues surrounding
factory farms that rural Iowans are facing. Strong factory farm
regulations are needed to protect family farms, rural residents
and the environment – not more laws passed by factory farm
groups trying to skirt the law.
Iowa Citizens for Community Improvement
is a 30 year old organization with thousands of members across the
state from all walks of life who talk, act and get things done on
critical issues affecting everyday Iowans. For more information,
visit www.iowacci.org.
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Family Farms, Yes! Factory
Farms, No!
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