It seems this bill too, has been sent to a sub-committee with instructions from leadership to "kill" it. Members of that committee are Mike Reasoner (D-chair), Delores Mertz (D), Helen Miller (D), Jack Drake (R) and Steve Olson (R).
Three Democratic House members – Pam Jochum, Mark Kuhn and Marcie Frevert – have been working tirelessly to advocate for VOICE SF 553 and the CAFO HF 873 bills.
We need to inundate the Statehouse with calls and e-mail the legislative leaders who control the fate of this bill. Please call or write. If your representative isn't on one of the sub-committees, you can still call or write Rep. Pat Murphy (House Speaker), Rep. Kevin McCarthy (House Majority Leader) or Senator Mike Gronstal (Senate Majority Leader). Everyone needs to contact those three leaders. In addition, contact your local reps and encourage them to urge the committee members to pass the CAFO bill (HF 873).
CAFO Regulation – HF 873
Agriculture Sub-Committee:
Rep. Mike Reasoner (D)
House District 95 – Union County
Home Telephone: 641-782-2693
Dolores Mertz (D)
House District 8 – Kossuth County
Home Telephone: 515-887-2952
Rep. Helen Miller (D)
House District 49 - Webster County
Rep. Jack Drake (R)
House District 57 -- Pottawattamie Jack.Drake@legis.state.ia.us
Home Telephone: 712-784-3538
Rep. Steve Olson (R)
House District 83 – Clinton County Steven.Olson@legis.state.ia.us
Home Telephone: 563-659-9096
Speaker of the House
Rep. Pat Murphy (D)
House District 28 – Dubuque CountyPat.Murphy@legis.state.ia.us
Home Telephone: (563) 582-5922
House Telephone: (515) 281-5566
House Majority Leader
Rep. Kevin McCarthy (D)
House District 67 – Polk CountyKevin.McCarthy@legis.state.ia.us
Home Telephone: (515) 953-5221
House Telephone: (515) 281-7497
Senate Majority Leader
Senator Mike Gronstal (D)
Senate District 50 -- Pottawattamiemichael.gronstal@legis.state.ia.us
Home Telephone: (712) 328-2808
Business Telephone: (515) 281-3901
"Master Matrix"
The master matrix is a scoring system that can be used to evaluate the siting of permitted confinement feeding operations. Counties that have adopted a construction evaluation resolution can use the master matrix. Counties must re-adopt the construction evaluation resolution annually between January 1 and January 31, starting in 2004, to continue to use the master matrix.
Producers in counties that have adopted the matrix must meet higher standards than other permitted facilities. Before they can be approved for construction, they must earn points on the master matrix for choosing sites and using practices that reduce adverse impacts on the environment and the community. Producers must have 50% (440 points minimum) of the total score and at least 25% of the available points in each of the three subcategories of air, water and community impacts to pass the master matrix...."
Scott County happens to be one of the many counties that has chosen to partake in the permit process. ( Its Board of Supervisors has agreeded to this every year since 2004.) . Part of what that means is that if a farmer wants to build new or add to their existing operation, a permit may be needed depending on the total number pigs, cattle, etc said farmer is going to raise. There is a formula that says if you have over 1666 animal units (thats one bovine equals one unit, 2.5 hogs equals one unit....see IDNR site for other animals) they you need to fill out the Master Matrix. If your county does not partake in the permit process, it goes directly to the IDNR and bypasses any local public input time.
