A western Iowa farmer who Governor Terry Branstad has appointed to the Iowa Environmental Protection Commission took questions about water quality from a state senate committee. Ralph Lents is a farmer from Menlo in Guthrie County and senators asked Lents about the lawsuit filed against three northwest Iowa counties over nitrates from farm fields getting into the Des Moines drinking water supply.
The lawsuit accuses county supervisors of mismanaging drainage districts, so that farm chemicals enter the Raccoon River through drainage tiles. Lents was asked what he might recommend to fix the problem.
The Senate committee approved Lents’ appointment. The full Senate may now vote and it requires the support of at least 34 senators for any of the governor’s appointees to state boards and commissions to be confirmed for those roles.
