Governor Tom Vilsack’s directing researchers at two of the state universities to help develop air quality standards for large-scale livestock operations.The state Environmental Protection Commission recently tabled discussion of air quality standards for the big animal feeding operations, saying more study was needed. Now, Vilsack is telling researchers at Iowa State University’s College of Agriculture and the University of Iowa College of Public Health to develop a series of recommendations on the issue. Vilsack says it’s “time to find an answer” to the problem of manure odor, and “solve it once and for all.” He wants the researchers to chart the “true impact” manure odor has one Iowans’ health and safety. Vilsack says it’s time to let “sound science” resolve the controversy.
