(Radio Iowa) – A ruling by an administrative law judge says state regulators must now consider public health effects when issuing permits to pull large amounts of water from the ground. The decision comes in a lawsuit challenging how a large-scale feeding operation in northeast Iowa’s Driftless Area disposes of their manure. Steve Veysey is one of the people who say pollution from manure runoff violates the D-N-R’s “beneficial use” policy for water use permits.  “The groundwater in Iowa is a public resource. It belongs to you, to me, to everyone. The water used has to be beneficial to the general public as well, and in the public’s interest, and not detrimental to the public’s health,” Veysey says.

He says the ruling could mean more decision-making power for Iowans when it comes to their water. “If properly implemented, this ruling would require the department to actually listen to public comment, and whether the public in that area really believes that water use is beneficial to the public, and not just to the permit holder,” he says.

The ruling could also affect other underground operations such as the Summit Carbon pipeline. The D-N-R has said that permit laws aren’t the proper way to enforce water quality issues. It’s unclear when the D-N-R will act on the ruling, but the department can overrule the decision if they see fit.