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Iowa DNR News For immediate release April 15, 2002 For more information, contact Karen Grimes, at (515) 281-5135. EPC TO DISCUSS WATER AND AIR MONITORING AT APRIL MEETING DES MOINES - Although comprehensive air quality standards for livestock were on the Environmental Protection Commission's April 15 agenda, the rules will be presented at the May or June meeting, instead. The DNR is waiting for the pending livestock law to be signed by the Governor before writing the rules. We anticipated getting specific standards for rule writing from the new law, said Jeff Vonk, DNR director. The rule proposal will include a comprehensive field study to monitor airborne pollutants around all animal feeding operations, not just confinements, and rules would go into effect no earlier than Dec. 1, 2004, as the new law requires. Commissioners approved the following three rules:
The commissioners approved a $103,572 contract with the University Hygienic Laboratory to monitor beaches at 35 Iowa lakes from April through October. The purpose of the contract is to measure levels of bacteria at the beaches and to identify factors that place beaches at higher risk of contamination. In other action, the EPC approved a $471,933 contract with the hygienic lab to assess stream conditions by continued monitoring of 20 reference sites and an annual survey of approximately 60 randomly selected sites. The DNR has been monitoring the reference sites since 1994 and uses this information to establish biological criteria that can help determine the health status of streams. Commissioners approved a $49,000 contract with AURA Consulting to develop a manure management plan that will allow producers to submit those plans electronically and will also allow the DNR to review major portions of the plans electronically. They also approved a letter of agreement for $18,000
to purchase and $66,045 to retrofit two mobile trailers to provide education
specific to Iowa recycling, waste reduction and stewardship. The trailers
will be used throughout the state and at the Iowa State Fair to educate
the public. - 30 - |
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