Des Moines Register
06-03-06
Democrats pledge to clean waters, but disagree on how
Four candidates in a gubernatorial primary take different stances on the bottledeposit law, livestock pollution and spending levels.
PERRY BEEMAN
REGISTER STAFF WRITER
A key environmental issue that has been dividing Iowans for decades also splits
the Democratic candidates for governor: whether to allow local governments to
control where large-scale livestock confinements can locate.
The four Democratic candidates all say they want to do more to clean Iowa's
waterways. Mike Blouin, the former state economic development chief, wants to
develop a long-term plan to cut runoff pollution. State Rep. Ed Fallon proposes
more lake dredging and more money to help landowners pay for grassy strips
along rivers that catch soil and pollutants. Secretary of State Chet Culver
proposes a $5 million Iowa Watershed Protection Program targeted at cutting
livestock pollution. Sioux City engineer Sal Mohamed wants to fight the problem
by enforcing laws already on the books.
Environmental issues have been low-key in the Democratic primary season,
even though the state faces serious challenges. The state has several hundred
seriously polluted waterways. Its large farming operations fight soil and chemical
runoff that cause algae blooms and other problems in waterways. Lawmakers
stage an annual debate over whether to change the bottle-deposit law. Outdoor
recreation has drawn increasing interest, as more people play outside and as an
Iowa State University study found parts of the state with better recreation also
had jobs with faster-rising pay.
Mike Delaney of Des Moines learned the hard way about the importance of clean
water. When he bought his prized retreat — a riverside cabin with no power or
plumbing — he noticed that the North Raccoon River ran clear.
Later, he learned the ugly truth. The Raccoon, one of the most-polluted waters in
the country by some measures, is like a lot of other Iowa rivers and lakes. The
clearer water that greets each spring quickly turns into a green cloud when
warming temperatures and fertilizer runoff feed algae blooms. That cloud, in turn,
harbors pollutants that can include microorganisms capable of making people
sick.
Delaney, 59, a retired Des Moines Area Community College sociology teacher,
wants Iowa's next governor to do something about that. He's doing his part, by
running the year-old North Raccoon Watershed Association, pulling samples,
preaching conservation, pulling for a better day. But he knows state lawmakers
— and the next governor — are in a position build on recent successes.
"I'd like to see the river run more clearly," Delaney said. "I'd like to see more life,
more diversity. I would like to stop the decline and make it better. The water can
be improved. There is still a lot of life. If we cut back on sewage and runoff, the
rivers could flourish. I would like my grandchildren to be able to wade out and
swim without getting sick."
There are some key differences in the candidates' stances, particularly on the
highly controversial topic of controlling pollution from livestock confinements.
Some candidates have no position on other key controversies.
For example, Mohamed offered no specific proposals to address the bottledeposit law, livestock confinements or recreational spending. Blouin offered no
position on the question of applying the state's beverage-container deposits to
more products, such as bottled water, juices or sports drinks. Culver and Fallon
both would consider expanding the law.
One of the hottest environmental issues is the debate over whether county
governments should have the power to decide where livestock confinements are
built. As it stands, that power is reserved for the state government, but
confinement opponents concerned about health threats and erosion of their
quality of life have pushed for local control.
Blouin and Mohamed oppose local control, but Culver and Fallon support it.
"We've got to be careful not to run an important sector of agriculture out of the
state," Blouin said. "A clean environment is important to all 3 million people. We
need to decide state standards with local input that allows for the nuances of the
local area to be looked at."
Fallon said local governments, not the state, should decide where the
confinements — and the resulting manure and air emissions — should go.
"It's not just an environmental question, it's an economic one, too," Fallon said.
Some critics say the large-scale confinements run small family farms out of the
livestock business.
Culver said a state system that allows counties to review confinement proposals,
but leaves the ultimate decision to the state, doesn't give local leaders enough
power.
"I am for local control," Culver said. We need to give more weight to local
requirements."
Fallon supports applying a 10-cent deposit to all beverage containers, instead of
a nickel deposit on limited containers. He also said he would raise the pay for
handlers to 3 cents a container instead of 1 cent. Culver said he would consider
expanding the deposit law. Blouin and Mohamed had no opinion.
On recreation, Blouin wants to extend the state's Vision Iowa program so it will
offer grants for more outdoor projects. Culver wants to negotiate a steady source
of money for state parks and other outdoor projects.
Fallon promotes river trails and wants to expand the state's significant network of
recreation trails. Mohamed doesn't favor additional recreational spending.