Report: Iowa’s manure spreading rules too lax

A recent report says Iowa's regulations on manure spreading are too lax and pose a threat to the state's water quality.

On Wednesday, the non-profit Iowa Policy Project released the report 'Winter Manure Application: Waste of a Resource,” which argues that Iowa's current winter manure regulations are not only harmful to the environment, but they're also economically wasteful.

The report focuses on the application of manure, an important resources for crop production.

However, when manure is applied to frozen soil, nutrients are not fully absorbed, leaving larger amounts remaining on the top of soil, which can run off into nearby waterways during snowmelt and spring rain.

'Manure can be sustainable ... We need to figure out how to utilize that manure well,” the report's lead author, David Osterberg, who founded IPP in 2001, said in a Wednesday conference call. 'When manure is placed on ground that isn't ready for it, it causes a loss of nutrients for the producer, but it also causes pollution.”

Manure runoff has been linked to fish kills, beach closures and contamination issues in drinking water, as well as environmental concerns where the Mississippi River pours into the Gulf of Mexico.

The report points to research by Iowa State University, which looks at the two-year average of nitrogen lost in surface runoff from corn and soybean fields when fertilizer is applied at different times of the year.

According to research, 8.2 percent of nitrogen was lost during early winter manure applications on cornfields, compared to only 1.2 percent lost in the spring. More than 22 percent of nitrogen was lost to runoff during late winter manure applications.

Iowa's winter manure application regulations on animal feeing operations are largely based on the number of animals present. Currently, the Iowa Department of Natural Resources is required - through an agreement with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency - to perform inspections for large and medium Confined Animal Feeding Operations.

Regulations don't apply to small CAFOs, such as one with less than 300 cattle or an operation with less than 750 swine larger than 55 pounds.

According to data from 2009-2010 cited in the report, 45 percent of complaints about winter manure application were about small animal feeding operations that are not regulated under the law.

IPP recommends Iowa legislators follow examples set by another agricultural state, Ohio, following a 2014 water crisis in Toledo.

'Iowa should be proactive on this issue,” Nick Fetty, a University of Iowa graduate student and co-author of the report, said in a Wednesday news release. 'The reaction in the state of Ohio, after a large city lost its drinking water system because of pollution, led to stronger laws to limit both farm and urban runoff. Iowa does not need to wait for the same thing to happen here.”

Some recommended regulations include an outright ban on liquid manure application for large and medium operations when the ground is frozen or snow-covered, and immediate restrictions on manure applications during unfavorable soil conditions for all operations with 300 animal units or more. Increased staffing for enforcing regulations is also recommended.

Osterberg acknowledged the challenge faced when recommending added regulations on agriculture, one of Iowa's biggest economic drivers.

'There's a lot of pushback, but we're just trying to start a debate,” Osterberg said.

In 2015's legislative session, Sen. Joe Bolkcom, (D-Iowa City) proposed a bill comparable to IPP's recommendations. The bill never made it out of subcommittee.

'I think there's an awareness that our laws are not working very well, this is one of those areas,” Bolkcom said. 'I hope this report will rekindle the debate.”

l Comments: (319) 339-3175; mitchell.schmidt@thegazette.com