Water quality moves called 'all-out assault'

As the curtain came down on funnel week, the Environmental Protection Committee debated for more than an hour before voting along party lines to reach the same conclusion as the Senate Ag Committee, which approved a water quality proposal on a voice vote.

Both committees approved bills transferring water quality monitoring, watershed improvements and federal Clean Water Act program from the Department of Natural Resources to the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship.

Floor manager Rep. Brian Moore, R-Zwingle, said House Study Bill 148 would streamline those activities. Rather than use a “shotgun approach” with several agencies working with landowners on soil and water conservation issues, he said, the changes would make one agency responsible for those activities.

Democrats didn't agree and questioned whether the bill, which came from the governor's office, accomplished what Moore was proposing.

One change would be to transfer the Water Resources Coordinating Council from the governor's office to the ag department.

“That council was set up four years ago with state and federal people at the table. It's worked,” said Rep. Vicki Lensing, D-Iowa City, “so I'm not convinced that moving it is in the best interest of state.”

“I just don't see where this is a solution, added Rep. Cindy Winckler, D-Davenport, “Does it make more sense to move soil conservation into DNR than move water to IDALS?”

Maybe the names of the agencies should be changed to the Department of Land and Water Stewardship and the Department of Natural Resources Except Water, said Rep. Chuck Isenhart, D-Dubuque.

The changes in the bill reflect a perception that DNR is anti-business and anti-farmer, some committee members said.

Rep. Josh Byrnes, R-Osage, an ag educator, said he thinks the proposed change might yield better results than the current arrangement.

“I think farmers will respond well. We'll get more out of this,” he said.

The only people who will get more out of it are those who don't want to protect Iowa's waters, according to Iowa's Water & Land Legacy and Iowa Citizens for Community Involvement.

“We believe transferring these programs to the Department of Ag will jeopardize water quality and the cooperative relationship between Iowa DNR, the Department of Ag and farmers throughout Iowa,” said Mark Langgin of the Iowa Water & Land Legacy.

Vern Tigges, Iowa CCI's board president and a Carroll farmer, called the proposals part of a “multi-pronged, all-out assault on the public's ability to rein in corporate agribusiness and protect our air, water and quality of life from factory farm polluters.”

A package of bills including HSB 148 and Senate Study Bill 1126 is an attempt to “rollback more than 10 years of laws and rules that protect our air and water quality from factory farm polluters, and prevent everyday people from holding the industry accountable for their actions,” Tigges said.