Iowa DNR Uses Rain as Scapegoat for Horrific Manure Runoffs; Factory Farms Let Off the Hook

The Department of Natural Resources is currently investigating at least five "manure runoffs." DNR news releases blame heavy rainfall for these incidents without acknowledging that manure runoffs are directly linked to factory farm activity. 

“Let’s be clear-- these are spills from manure pits on factory farms, and calling them “manure runoffs” is a weak attempt to minimize the impact of factory farm manure in our rivers, streams and drinking water supplies.

“Such scapegoating only gives factory farms more leeway to keep polluting under the radar. What we really need is a moratorium on factory farms but in the meantime, the very least DNR can do is hold them accountable and be transparent about the risks posed by factory farm manure.

“Iowa has over 750 impaired waterways. The vast majority of those impairments are due to impacts from industrialized agriculture. Despite this growing water crisis, our state legislature once again failed to take any meaningful action during the 2019 session, and in fact, refused to even debate a bill proposing a moratorium on new and expanding factory farms. Our water crisis grows more significant every year, and it will only worsen as climate change makes extreme weather events and heavy rainfall more likely. The DNR taking minor enforcement action against polluting factory farms will not solve this crisis -- only the legislature can do that by taking meaningful action on our factory farm problem. This newest round of manure spills is yet another reason why it’s time for a moratorium on factory farms.”