In the past week, two hog manure spills in eastern Iowa have killed thousands of fish.

Also this week, an investigation is being conducted by the Iowa Attorney General’s Office to see if the son of hog magnate Jack DeCoster is breaking laws on opening a hog confinement operation.

Obviously, the sometimes emotional debate over hog confinements will not soon go away.

There are those who feel the corporate style operations are slowly destroying the environment and the small family farms.

Some still say the benefits of large-scale operations make food cheaper for everyone and the high technology companies produce bigger, healthier hogs.

The main problem many people have with hog confinements now is the giant volume of manure they produce. Hog manure in small quantities is beneficial; indeed, it can be used to help fertilize crops.

However, manure from large quantities of hogs is very toxic.

The smell can be overpowering for neighbors of these businesses.

Also, thousands of fish often are killed and small streams are polluted when that waste escapes containment facilities.

Iowa State’s various agricultural departments are getting involved in this debate.

These departments have many programs underway, studying how to improve safe management of hog waste products.

From odor concerns to water quality issues, ISU professors and students are conducting extensive research, trying to bring about solutions that communities and agribusinesses can support.

Assuredly, ISU is not just a place in which we go to class, and this serves as another example of how our school can have a greater impact on many of our lives.