by Ben Nuelle
Governor Terry Branstad says the Des Moines Water Works lawsuit is a war against Iowa farmers. Iowa Governor Terry Branstad spoke about water quality and the Des Moines WaterWorks lawsuit at the Agribusiness Showcase Wednesday in Des Moines.
Branstad says he hates seeing the capital attacking farmers in rural Iowa.
?We have some of the most productive farmers and some of the most productive land in the world. If this lawsuit were successful, it could take some of this most productive valuable farmland and convert it back to swamp and make it not very valuable and that would be devastating to the Iowa economy,? Branstad said.
The governor says he has proposed an alternative to fix water quality issues.
?Which would use a one cent sales tax which we have for school infrastructure would extend that for 20 years and give each year an additional $10 million for school infrastructure but would share some of the growth with water quality and would give us a long term reliable source of funding.?
Iowa Agriculture Secretary Bill Northey says if the federal court rules in favor of Des Moines Water Works, farmers across Iowa won?t be the only ones affected.
?I think farmers in Iowa or other land owners would get that it is not just those farmers in those ten drainage districts. It?s every other farmer that would be impacted by whatever that ruling is too because that is transferrable to everybody. I talked to my colleagues in other states and they realize it?s their farmers halfway across this country that could be impacted by a federal lawsuit that is brought by Des Moines Waterworks,? Northey says.
Des Moines Water Works alleges ten drainage districts in Sac, Calhoun, and Buena Vista counties are violating the federal clean water act. They say the drainage districts are discharging nitrates from their tile lines into the Raccoon River at nitrate levels exceeding safe drinking water standards.
A federal trial judge will hear the lawsuit in August.
Listen to Ben’s complete interview with Governor Branstad here.
