Members of the group Iowan Citizens for Community Improvement met with officials from the Department of Natural Resources Tuesday to present a report they say shows the state agency has failed to crack down on manure pollution from large-scale livestock organizations. The group says it mapped 234 manure management plans in Adair, Boone, Dallas, Guthrie and Sac counties and found missing documents, double-dumping and over-application of manure. D-N-R director Chuck Gipp and other staff members addressed the concerns.
Gipp says it is not illegal for more than one producer to designate ground as the place they will apply manure. He says that doesn’t mean too much manure is being applied, because one person might put on half the allowed amount and the other person the other half, or one may not use that ground. Gipp says the D-N-R checks up on producers and investigates complaints when they get them and if they are not complying with the manure management plan, the get fined. Staff pointed out that some of the missing documents cited by the group were because the operations aren’t large enough or the type where a manure management plan is required. The I-C-C-I members claimed the D-N-R is not doing enough to police the large-scale operations. Gipp says that’s not true.
Gipp says they will review the information presented by the group.
Article courtesy of Radio Iowa
