(Arnolds Park)– Representatives of an organization seeking local control over the placement of large animal confinements say their efforts have only just begun.
At a news conference today (Friday) in Arnolds Park, Chris Murphy, President of the Iowa Network for Local Control, said they’re pleased with Tuesday’s action by the Administrative Rules Committee allowing the Director of the Iowa Department of Natural Resources discretion in determining where such operations should be located. However, Murphy says that isn’t enough. She says they’re mounting a massive effort to lobby the legislature on the issue as well as educating the public. Murphy says the group hopes to raise 200-thousand dollars for those purposes.
Lynn Wallace, also of Iowa Network for Local COntrol, says tghey’ll be pushing hard for changes to the Master Matrix System.
Wallace also emphasized they are not against family farmers or those who have livestock operations near their own homes saying they’re the ones that will take the necessary precautions to keep from polluting.
On Monday Jackson, Minnesota-based New Fashion Pork announced it was withdrawing a permit application for a four thousand head hog operation near the Little Sioux River in western Dickinson county for now atleast. In exchange, the company said it wants the county to come up with a list of sites that would be suitable for such operations. Efforts to form a committee to do that are underway. But if today’s (Fri.) news conference was any indication, that task is going to be difficult if not impossible. Asked if the Iowa Network for Local Control is willing to meet with ag groups in the county to seek some kind of common ground, Murphy said “while we would like to talk with them and find common ground, I don’t know if it’s possible.” Murphy was especially critical of the Farm Bureau, which had representatives present at today’s (Fri.) news conference. They didn’t make any formal comments. Several did speak with KUOO news following the news conference but declined to go on tape. One representative told us more local control could come at a cost to taxpayers. He says letting local officials decide where to put confinement operations could open counties up to liability.
