Iowa Citizens for Community Improvement members are disappointed the Iowa House approved legislation this week to lessen the hours manure applicators need to reach yearly to be able to apply. The bill lessens the requirement from 3 hours to two per year. ICCI Farm and Environment Organizer Jess Mazour says even though the bill was approved 66 to 31, they still made headway on impressing upon lawmakers the importance of clean water.

Mazour says more hours of manure applicator training is needed not less. She says the fact Iowa had 51 manure spills last year proves that. Mazour says there’s been a lot of evidence of manure applicators not receiving enough or the proper training.

She says ICCI will be lobbying in full force when the measure gets to the Iowa Senate likely next week.