DES MOINES, Iowa — Iowa Citizens for Community Improvement (ICCI) and Food & Water Watch (FWW) have filed a petition with the Iowa Department of Natural Resources (DNR), asking it to revamp the state’s rules to give local residents more say in how and where confined animal feeding operations (CAFOs) are built.

 

“The master matrix has failed to fulfill its promise of giving communities a greater voice in factory farm construction and more protections from factory farm pollution,” ICCI said in a statement.

“Instead of working for everyday people, the master matrix only works for the industry. We all know it; Iowa is in a water crisis. But year after year, the legislature has failed to act. Iowans can’t wait any longer.”

Filed July 18, ICCI and FWW’s petition charged that the state’s current permit system established in 2002 “fails to give local officials enough control over where large hog, cattle and chicken farms locate,” The Associated Press reported.

In addition, the groups’ petition requested the DNR make several changes to the existing master matrix system, “including stricter pollution requirements and increased distance requirements from schools, homes, waterways and wells.”

According to the DNR, the master matrix is a scoring system that can be used to evaluate the siting of permitted CAFOs in counties that have adopted a construction evaluation resolution. In Iowa, 88 of the 99 counties evaluate construction permit applications

and proposed locations for CAFOs by using the master matrix.

Pat McGonegle, CEO of the Iowa Pork Producers Assoc. (IPPA) and Urbandale farmer, told Farm World the master matrix applies to producers who must get a construction permit to build, expand or modify a completely-roofed facility.

“Generally, these are confinement feeding operations with more than 2,500 finishing hogs, 1,000 beef cattle or 715 mature dairy cows,” he explained. “The master matrix serves as a useful tool for Iowa’s pig farmers and helps ensure compliance with IDNR rules and regulations. The matrix already holds producers to a higher standard in the counties that utilize the scoring system.”

McGonegle said the master matrix also serves to “protect the environment and provide opportunities for farmers to enter the pork industry or grow their swine business.”

He added many hog farmers use the  services offered by Iowa State University and the Coalition to Support Iowa’s Farmers to “properly site swine facilities, which the Iowa Pork Producers Association supports and encourages.

“Iowa already has some of the toughest agricultural regulatory laws in the country and the pork industry is one of the most heavily regulated,” he said. “The master matrix is a good system and it will continue to be without changes.”

However, in addition to increased distance requirements, the ICCI and FWW petition ask for:

•A higher minimum passing score requiring applicants to earn more points to obtain a permit

•A one-time enrollment for counties rather than the current requirement for counties to readopt the master matrix every single year

•Revisions to the point structure to incentivize practices that prevent or mitigate pollution

•New criteria that consider more environmental factors, such as unique topography and existing water pollution impairments

•Elimination of criteria that do not provide environmental or community benefits The DNR has 60 days to respond to their petition, ICCI said. “During that time, we want to collect as many comments in support of this petition as possible,” its statement said.

But Ron Birkenholz, IPPA director of communications, said it remains to be seen if the state will act on ICCI and FWW’s charges. “We are opposed to reopening the master matrix,” he said.

McGonegle added, “This is just the latest in ICCI’s ongoing effort to try to limit opportunities for rural Iowa and make it more difficult for Iowans to farm and raise livestock.”