Des Moines, Iowa — According to the Iowa Department of Natural Resources, 89 of Iowa’s 99 counties have notified the DNR that they plan to evaluate construction permit applications and proposed locations for animal confinements by using the master matrix. But again, one county in our area and one nearby have opted out.
With 10 exceptions, all counties will use the matrix during the next 12 months. Osceola and Plymouth counties, as well as Davis, Des Moines, Keokuk, Lee, Mahaska, Wapello, Warren, and Washington counties will not use the matrix in 2017.
DNR officials say that state law requires large operations with 1000 animal units or more (2500 finishing pigs or 1000 beef cattle) under totally-roofed conditions to get a construction permit before they can build. There are set standards for the construction permit. In addition, there are some counties that would like to have a say in whether or not these facilities can be built in their counties, and for that, a master matrix was created.
Officials say the matrix is a “laundry list” of production practices that producers can select, and get a passing score of 440 points, so when they apply for that construction permit with the DNR, they also send this master matrix to the county. The county goes through it and sees whether or not they agree with the practices the producer has selected and the point total, to see if they can support the DNR issuing the construction permit for the facility.
DNR officials say that some counties’ boards of supervisors who opt out of the master matrix plan feel it’s not needed in their area, or they trust that their producers are going to do the right thing and don’t feel they need to put them under additional scrutiny. He says others want to make the final decision at the local level.
The DNR says some counties want local control as to whether these facilities can be built in their county. Other entities are saying that they want one set standard for the whole state so that everybody knows what the standard is. They say the situation that we have now is a hybrid system, in which there is a minimum standard, and counties get to use the master matrix. They don’t really get to say “yes” or “no,” but they get a lot more input than if there was not a master matrix system.
Participating counties score each master matrix submitted in their county and can recommend to approve or deny the construction permit. They can also join in DNR visits to a proposed confinement site.
