For immediate release: June 1, 2006
For more information, contact:
Iowa Citizens for Community Improvement at 515-282-0484 or iowacci@iowacci.org.

Citizen group hails defeat of factory farm legislation
Iowa CCI members call Vilsack veto a victory against corporate ag

Des Moines – Iowa Citizens for Community Improvement members applauded Governor Vilsack’s veto yesterday of Senate File 2377. Iowa Citizens for Community Improvement led the charge to defeat the pro-factory farm, pro-water pollution bill. CCI members believe this bill would hand the permitting process over to the factory farm industry.

The legislation would have:

• Eliminated virtually all of the DNR’s authority to deny or modify a factory farm construction permit or manure management plan;
  
  
• Made it illegal for DNR to inspect a construction site for potential problems;
  
  
• And forced the DNR to take factory farms at their word when they submit construction permit applications.

The Iowa Department of Natural Resources was also opposed to the bill. “This bill is completely contrary to the $18 million the legislature agreed to spend on cleaning up Iowa’s water,” said CCI member Vern Tigges of Carroll. “Shame on the legislature for even trying to pass this. We are glad the Governor is making an effort to try to protect Iowa’s water.”

Iowa CCI members will be back at the Capitol on Tuesday, January 9 2007 for a rally and lobby day at the start of the next legislative session. At the top of their 2007 legislative agenda is local control and strong environmental standards.

“Now it’s high-time the legislature starts addressing the real problems factory farms are creating in our countryside,” said Exira family farmer Gary Larsen added. “Iowa can’t afford to wait any longer for relief. We need local control and strong air and water quality measures.”

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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