In one of my favorite episodes so far, we speak with Michael Schmidt, the General Counsel of the Iowa Environmental Council, the largest environmental coalition in the state. Michael reflects on his time working in Minnesota and Iowa to give context to how the laws that regulate water quality impact our quality of life. He discusses the Clean Water Act, as well as competing constitutional amendments in the two states that have so far had very different outcomes. He also covers tile drainage, the Farm Bill, concentrated animal feeding operations, and rules that currently incentivize planting marginal land.
A few links related to the episode:
Local 5 News (with an interview of Michael)
KCCI: Drake University Hosts Town Hall on Water Quality Solutions
Des Moines Register: Takeaways from a town hall on Iowa water quality at Drake University
