Follow Up on CAFO Bill: Iowans’ Protests Stall Odor Study Bill
By ICCI

Bill Pulled from House Debate amid Calls from Hundreds

Hundreds of members of Iowa Citizens for Community Improvement and Iowans from across the state contacted their legislators and pushed key House leaders to say no to the odor study bill, HF2652 & SF2362, just prior to the debate in the House last night, which led to its stalled passage and move to the House Appropriations Committee.

Because House leadership did not want a divisive debate, the bill’s move to the Appropriations Committee will likely stall the bill, keeping it alive beyond the March 28 funnel.

“This was a huge victory,” said CCI member Norma Countryman of Des Moines. “Our legislators know that Iowans are tired of handing over our taxpayer dollars to factory farms so that they might begin to fix the problems they create. Twenty-three million taxpayer dollars should not fund an unnecessary study.”

“The odor study is simply a stall tactic for factory farms to avoid enforcing clean air standards,” said CCI member Vern Tigges from Carroll. “Studies have already been done that have shown we need clean air standards for hydrogen sulfide and ammonia, which are toxic to our health. Our legislators have heard this message loud and clear.”

At a meeting March 4 in which CCI members met with Governor Culver, where he heard concerns from Iowans on the proposed $23 million odor study for which taxpayers would foot the bill, Culver was open to other methods of improving our state’s air and water quality, “Maybe we could use [the money] for something else.”
 
Members of Iowa Citizens for Community Improvement say they will continue to contact their legislators, specifically the Appropriations Committee, to not pass the odor study bill. They will also lobby their legislators at the Capitol April 1.