Biofuels have negative side effects

To the editor:

The Gazette printed a guest column by Gov. Terry Branstad that touts the positive side of some aspects of the growth of renewable energy in Iowa, but he totally ignores the other side of the coin ('Iowa has the blueprint for energy independence,” Aug. 29).

The push to turn Iowa's corn and soybeans into biofuels has not helped with water quality in our state. Farm runoff continues to affect water quality in our state and in all areas downstream from Iowa.

His vetoes of funding that could have helped to fund water quality improvements have exacerbated the problems. The voluntary programs to address water quality will never achieve the significant changes that are required to fix water quality problems.

His administration's excessive giveaways to the fertilizer plants has taken away funds that could have been better used for other projects. Until such time as he, his administration and our legislature pass and enforce strong measures to address the significant negative side effects related to the intense push of biofuels and stop the financial giveaways that we have been seeing, I feel we are on a wrong path and the costs to our citizens will be more than we can afford.

David Krug

North Liberty