Iowa — A ruling by an administrative law judge says state regulators must now consider public health effects when issuing permits to pull large amounts of water from the ground.
The decision comes in a lawsuit challenging how a large-scale feeding operation in northeast Iowa’s Driftless Area disposes of their manure. Steve Veysey is one of the people who say pollution from manure runoff violates the DNR’s “beneficial use” policy for water use permits.
He says the ruling could mean more decision-making power for Iowans when it comes to their water.
The ruling could also affect other underground operations such as the Summit Carbon pipeline. The DNR has said that permit laws aren’t the proper way to enforce water quality issues. It’s unclear when the DNR will act on the ruling, but the department can overrule the decision if they see fit.
