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Groups file water quality lawsuit in Iowa

Two groups that support a moratorium on construction of new livestock confinement facilities in Iowa are filing a water quality lawsuit against the state.

The lawsuit states that the Iowa Nutrient Reduction Strategy—the state’s policy for nitrogen and phosphorus water pollution controls—has failed to the protect the Raccoon River, the main source of drinking water for Des Moines and other Iowa communities.

Brenda Brink is with Iowa Citizens for Community Improvement. “We are clearly saying that voluntary compliance, the current policy in our state, does not work when the system is controlled by corporate ag,” Brink said. “We are calling for meaningful and mandatory compliance.”

Emma Schmidt with the group Food and Water Watch called the lawsuit a “momentous step” to force action.

“We’ve tried everything, yet our legislators and our governor are continuing to ignore the fact that industrial agriculture is polluting our water, destroying our rural communities and driving independent family farmers out of the business,” Schmidt said.

Radio Iowa contributed to this report.