Why should Iowa taxpayers subsidize hog manure digesters?

There are some 15,000 Iowa hog confinements that, through the anaerobic digestion of hog waste which takes place in them, create and discharge methane; along with many other pollutants that can kill and make people sick.

Since the Iowa Legislature has made it illegal for the Department of Natural Resources to regulate the dangerous air emissions coming out of hog confinements, there is nothing standing in the way of methane digester proponents adding equipment to existing confinement vents and blowers to capture all the methane they want.

You should ask your legislators why Iowa taxpayers need to subsidize new ag methane digesters when methane from existing confinement sources is just “wasted” by being blown out of these confinements 24/7/365, and has been for years.

Bob Watson

Decorah