Animal feeding operations in Iowa are required to follow specific laws and regulations, but counties have the option of setting higher standards for those facilities located in their communities. Jerah Sheets is the executive officer for all environmental regulation programs with the Iowa Department of Natural Resources, and he says the DNR accepts construction evaluation resolutions each year from the counties.

Sheets says the county auditor is responsible for submitting the resolution, which he says may be created with public input by the county commission or board of directors. He says the matrix created by the county with public input evaluates new or expanding operations based upon points.

He says the resolutions will be accepted at the DNR throughout the month of January and will become effective February 1st. Counties are not required to submit one, in which case, operations would follow the state laws and regulations.