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Environmental Protection Commission Meets Monday On Requested Changes To Master Matrix

At 10 a.m. Monday morning, the Iowa grassroots action groups, Iowa Citizens for Community Improvement (ICCI) and Food & Watch, will make a presentation at a meeting of the Environmental Protection Commission (EPC) in Des Moines. The governing body is expected to make a vote following the presentation on amending the current Master Matrix, the permitting scoring process developed by the Department of Natural Resources (DNR) for determining the efficacy of large livestock operations. The action groups have presented a petition for the changes that include letters of support from five county boards of supervisors, Butler, Dickinson, Cerro Gordo, Polk and Johnson. Fourteen other counties have passed separate resolutions and one county sent a letter calling for the Master Matrix to be strengthened. A listing of those counties can be found with this story on our website. The petition is asking for an increase to the minimum passing score on the assessment, steps to incentivize practices that prevent or mitigate pollution, elimination of criteria that has no meaningful environmental or community benefits and increase separation distances from other homes, schools, public use areas and wells.

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Counties with separate resolutions: Allamakee, Winneshiek, Adair, Dickinson, Buchanan, Cedar, Johnson, Floyd, Howard, Webster, Cerro Gordo, Hardin, Emmet, Woodbury and Pocahontas

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