The U.S. government should oversee Iowa cities, farms and businesses’ impact on the state’s waters, an environmental group says, arguing the state has done a poor job protecting its rivers, lakes and streams.
The Sierra Club Iowa Chapter filed a petition this week , asking the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to pull the Iowa Department of Natural Resources’ authority to enforce the 1972 Clean Water Act, the legal framework for improving and preserving the nation’s waters.
The group, representing 7,000 members, says the Iowa DNR has failed to properly regulate concentrated animal feeding operations, called CAFOs, even after spills occur; renew discharge permits for all facilities; and develop plans that can help restore impaired waters.
“The Iowa DNR has been entrusted by EPA with the responsibility of protecting Iowa’s water resources. But DNR has for years violated this trust. Now EPA must step in,” said Wally Taylor, an Iowa Sierra Club attorney who filed the petition.
The Iowa DNR didn’t immediately respond to the petition Friday.