I was proud of the Democrats who voted with me against HF 2523. If this passes, the air standards in this bill will hinder efforts to improve air quality in Iowa and may impair the health of Iowans.

This legislation forces Iowa to backtrack on years of work to improve the air that we all breathe. It will make it virtually impossible for the state’s air quality experts to work with polluters to improve their operations.

HF 2293 was adopted in 2002 by the Iowa Legislature to help Iowa’s corporate hog farmers and those living on neighboring farms live in harmony.

One component of that bill was directions to Iowa’s Department of Natural Resources to establish standards for air quality in rural Iowa.

Last year, the Department, working with scientists, suggested rules that farmers and businesses would have to follow to insure good air quality in Iowa. The Legislature, over many objections, nullified those rules and sent the department back to the drawing board. This year, the department issued new rules and is obtaining public input on them. Today’s legislation is an attempt to prevent the department from issuing any rules pertaining to air quality.

The losers in today’s action are Iowans — especially children, seniors, those with lung related illnesses and those who live in rural Iowa. It will lead to more animosity in rural Iowa and to additional lawsuits against mega-hog operations.

Most farmers and businesses in Iowa are good neighbors and do not threaten the health of those who live near their operations.

They do not want this bill, for they know their families and workers may suffer the ill effects of those who do pollute.

My hope now is that, as this bill moves through the Iowa Senate, sounder minds will prevail and attempts will be made to fix this legislation so that Iowans will be protected. If that does not occur, I will encourage the governor to veto this harmful legislation.

Rep. Jane Greimann

Ames, Iowa