DES MOINES, Iowa — Several hundred Iowa residents gathered in the state capital this week, calling on public officials – and each other – to take swift action against dangerously polluted water supplies that are closely linked to the state’s powerful agricultural industry.
Some attendees drove for hours from rural farmsteads for the Aug. 4 event, squeezing into a packed auditorium on the campus of Drake University to listen to a team of scientists detail new research showing how multiple harmful pollutants flowing through Iowa watersheds are jeopardizing public and environmental health.
The crowd cheered and applauded loudly as speakers outlined a need for new regulations on farm pollution, while discussion of moves by public officials to slash funding for water quality monitoring devices drew a chorus of boos. Organizers counted more than 600 attending in person and said more than 230 participated online…