U.S. Water News Online
AMES, Iowa -- Gov. Vilsack has appealed to all Iowans to set aside past differences and find the courage and common ground needed to improve and restore the health of every Iowa lake, river and stream by 2010.
Vilsack spoke to more than 450 business leaders, farmers, conservationists and state environmental officials attending his first-ever Water Quality Summit.
``It's easy in this issue and for this issue to digress to finger pointing, with everybody else being part of the problem and no one being part of the solution,'' Vilsack said.
``The fact is, and the simple truth is, we are all part of the problem. To be successful, we all have to be part of the solution,'' he said.
The summit was convened to develop a blueprint to improve the state's waters, specifically the 89 lakes, rivers, streams and wetlands designated as impaired.
Vilsack said clean water is a priority of his second term.
At stake is improved quality of life, economic development, making Iowa more attractive to its residents and leaving a clean water legacy for future generations, he said.
Vilsack earlier this year formed five working groups of stakeholders. Each group submitted a draft report with recommendations for improving the state's water quality.
Vilsack acknowledged there is plenty of work to do. Iowa's landscape is one of the most altered in the nation and has the greatest percentage of land, about 80 percent, devoted to agriculture, according to one report.
Much of the pollution in Iowa's waterways results from runoff over large areas of land, such as fertilizers and sediment, and the source cannot be pinpointed easily. But recent tests also show increasing amounts of ordinary household products, such as suntan lotion, aspirin, steroids and fragrances.
``It's been very easy for those of us who don't live on the farm to say agriculture is the problem,'' Vilsack said.
Although progress has been made in the last 20 years to reduce pollutants and runoff into Iowa's waters, money, new programs and research are needed to achieve clean water goals, according to Agriculture Secretary Patty Judge.
``If soil and water conservation are worth doing ... then adequate and consistent funding streams need to be developed,'' Judge said.
Yet funding remains a tricky and elusive piece of the puzzle, Vilsack and others said. Some of the groups suggested a sales tax on drinking and bottled water or redirecting some of the $19 million captured each year in gasoline taxes.
Vilsack suggests tapping the $65 million in the state's revolving loan fund.
Return to the U.S. Water News Archives page Or Return to the U.S. Water News Homepage
Editor@uswaternews.com
*Your Name:
*Your Email:
*Friend's Email:
Use a comma to separate e-mail addresses:
*Your Comments:
Hi, I thought you might like to read this article.
*Required Fields