Comment Log Display

LCFS: Why are they available to farms in Iowa when the purpose of
CARB is to reduce the methane in California?

Last year, HF522 was passed in the Iowa legislature, and it allows
Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations to expand and add even more
livestock to their operations if they build a methane digester.
Nine Iowa dairies have already received digester permits since new
law, and seven plan expansion.  One of these dairies has already
had a large manure spill.
Even when contained and used for methane, the remaining liquid
manure still has no place to go than be spread, beyond capacity and
often frozen, then migrates into Iowa's waterways. 
Lowering pollution could be achieved with lower livestock
concentration and pasturing livestock; Iowa has a landscape much
more similar to northern California than to the San Joaquin Valley.

But California's Low Carbon Fuel Credits (LCFS) are making it
harder for Iowa to get to a real solution because it is
incentivizing digestors.  
Iowa waterways have been becoming more dangerous every year.  More
episodes of blue green algae blooms are occurring and children have
been sickened and dogs have died due the unhealthy conditions of
our lakes.  
The Des Moines water system was nearly unable to provide adequate
amounts of drinkable water last year due to the microcystin toxin
in the water supply. Des Moines also houses the largest nitrate
removal system due to the agricultural pollution in our waterways.
Iowa has enough trouble fighting against the agriculture industry
so that we can have safe recreational water areas and a safe
drinking supply.  Please understand that your actions are making it
harder to live in Iowa. Please do not pursue these types of LCFS,
because we are fighting for our lives.  Please, do not make the
fight harder.