Over the last 30 years, the area has increasingly become home to large-scale confined animal feeding operations, commonly called CAFOs, which keep large numbers of animals in tight conditions.
Following years of inaction on the Clean Water for Iowa Act, one Iowa lawmaker is looking to advance several smaller bills that would improve monitoring and strengthen permit requirements for large industrial farms.
Key trade agreements, the legality of the global trade war, Agri Stats’ antitrust case, more USDA moves, and rulings on dicamba and glyphosate predicted to grab industry headlines.
The new rule, proposed Nov. 17, is the latest in a convoluted, decades-long fight over which streams and wetlands qualify as “Waters of the United States” and thus are regulated by the federal government under the Clean Water Act.
An analysis by Investigative Midwest found that a substantial share of Iowa’s rivers and lakes labeled as impaired have remained in poor condition for at least a decade, highlighting persistent pollution risks for swimmers, boaters, and others who regularly use these waters.
The governor has slammed the lawsuit as harmful to farmers, firing his energy secretary for attending a hearing, while experts push for stricter pollution controls.
