ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH SCIENCES RESEARCH CENTER

A National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences Center of Excellence

Iowa Concentrated Animal Feeding Operation Air Quality Study

In mid-June of 2001, Governor Tom Vilsack requested that faculty experts at the University of Iowa and Iowa State University address the public health and environmental impacts of concentrated animal feeding operations (CAFOs), also referred to as Concentrated Feeding Operations or CFOs). In response to this request, Richard Ross, PhD, DVM, Dean of the College of Agriculture at Iowa State University and James Merchant, MD, DrPH, Dean of the College of Public Health at The University of Iowa, were asked by the Department of Natural Resources Director Jeffrey Vonk to provide guidance "regarding the impacts of air quality surrounding CFOs on Iowans and recommended methods for reducing and/or minimizing emissions." He was specifically seeking their advice and recommendations on how the Department of Natural Resources should address this critically important public policy issue.

Following a workshop held in Des Moines in December 2001, groups of national and international scientists who are experts in the areas below generated the following report, which was completed in January, 2002. The final report was submitted to the Iowa Department of Natural Resources.

  Environmental Health Sciences Research Center, The University of Iowa, 100 Oakdale Campus, #178 IREH, Iowa City, IA 52242

Tel: (319) 335-4756 / Fax: (319) 335-4225 / E-mail: nancy-newkirk@uiowa.edu