Dozens gathered at the statehouse this morning to speak their minds about a bill that would change the way the state enforces air quality rules for livestock operations. Andrew Hill is a Worth County farmer who likes the proposed changes.Hill says the bill sets limits for hydrogen sulfide and ammonia that were established by the Centers for Disease Control. The bill crafted by republican lawmakers and backed by the Farm Bureau would prohibit state officials from establishing limits that are stricter than federal rules. There were a number of critics, including Gary Klecker of Bloomfield, a board member of Iowa Citizens for Community Improvement. Klecker says you wouldn’t ask Sam Walton if Wal-Marts would be good for small towns, so legislators shouldn’t ask a “huge corporation” like the Farm Bureau what standards should be established for livestock operations.
