(Radio Iowa) – A House-passed bill to set new guidelines for development of carbon pipelines has been tabled in the Senate, but Senate Majority Leader Jack Whitver says the conversation isn’t over. “We’re hearing a lot from both sides and we’ll continue to take that feedback and see if there’s consensus in the Caucus,” Whitver says. “Right now there isn’t.” Whitver is the leader of the 34 member Republican Caucus in the Senate.

“There are just a lot of different opinions and if you look at the different people who are working and interested in this bill, it’s very unique to have Farm Bureau and Sierra Club and Iowa (Citizens for Community Improvement) and Food and Water Watch on one side versus the entire ag industry on the other side,” Whitver says. “There’s just as many opinions as there are (senators) at this point.”

The House voted 73 to 20 in favor of a bill that would have required developers to get voluntary access to 90 percent of the properties along the pipeline routes before eminent domain authority could be used to force the other landowners to grant access to their property. While that bill was not considered in the senate, Whitver suggests lawmakers will continue to discuss how and whether to intervene.

“It is a hot issue, but it’s hot on both sides,” Whitver says. “There’s definitely people that want to see the pipeline happen. They think it’s going to be good for the ag industry. There are people that are very concerned about property rights and so it’s definitely it’s an issue that will continue to come up over the next few years.”

It’s possible the Iowa Utilities Board review of the three proposed pipeline projects will not be completed before the 2024 legislature reconvenes. A recent Des Moines Register Iowa Poll found nearly eight out of 10 Iowans surveyed oppose the use of government’s eminent domain authority to compel reluctant landowners to sign over property along the pipeline routes.

• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 egg
• 1/2 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
• 2 boneless skinless chicken breast halves (6 oz. each)
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 2 teaspoons lemon juice

In a shallow bowl, combine the flour, salt and garlic powder.  In another bowl, beat the egg.  Place the Parmesan cheese in a third bowl.  Coat chicken in flour mixture, then dip in egg and roll in cheese.

In a skillet, brown chicken in oil on both sides.  Transfer to a shallow 1 quart baking dish coated with cooking spray; drizzle with lemon juice.  Bake, uncovered, at 350 degrees for 18-20 minutes or until juices run clear.

YIELD:  2 servings

(Radio Iowa) – A bill that would have set a few new ground rules for carbon pipelines has stalled in the Senate. Representative Steven Holt, a Republican from Denison, led debate of the bill in the House, where it passed on a 73-to-20 vote. “The legislation’s one of the most important things we could have done this session,” Holt says.

The bill would have required that 90 percent of a carbon pipeline’s route be secured through voluntary agreements before eminent domain authority from the state could be used to compel other landowners to sign easements. “A lot of concerned citizens across the state of Iowa do not want their property taken for this project — an economic development project and I’m disappointed,” Holt says.

Today (Thursday) is the last day of the legislature’s work week and also the deadline for policy bills from the House to have cleared a Senate committee. Senate Democratic Leader Zach Wahls of Coralville says Republicans who control the senate’s debate agenda could have at least scheduled a subcommittee hearing on the bill.  “I think that if the bill would have come to the floor, it would have had strong majority support,” Wahls says, “so I was surprised.”

It’s possible some of the elements of the bill could be tacked onto a budget bill next month. There’s also a chance state regulators’ review of the pipeline projects might extend into early 2024. Holt says that means it might be possible for next year’s legislature to revisit the issue. “Dynamics can change around here very quickly around here when it’s an election year and people begin to hear a lot from their constituents, so we’ll see where it goes.” Holt says, “My concern about waiting a year, obviously, is that eminent domain could already be in process for some of our land owners, but maybe the process will not be that far along, so we’ll see.”

The proposed Wolf pipeline to capture carbon from A-D-M plants is about 300 miles long and the developer says it’s getting voluntary access to the route and will not need to seek eminent domain authority. The other pipeline developers are expected to ask the Iowa Utilities Board for eminent domain authority to secure easements from landowners who haven’t voluntarily granted access to their properties. Navigator’s pipeline would stretch about 800 miles through 33 Iowa counties.

The Summit Carbon Solutions pipeline would be about 680 miles long and pass through 29 counties. Advocates say the pipelines will make ethanol a low-carbon fuel by capturing and shipping carbon from Iowa ethanol plants to underground storage sites in Illinois and North Dakota.

(Radio Iowa) – An Iowa-based group that aims to help farmers practice a form of agriculture that benefits both the land and the people is working to recruit new members, especially in northwest Iowa. Practical Farmers of Iowa agronomist Sarah Carlson says the issue of water quality is one key area where they’ve determined they can start discussions with potential members.

Carlson says crop rotation, cover crops, and grazing all help to reduce nitrate loss and reduce erosion, which are two of the biggest water pollutants. Some of the older concepts are still very much workable, especially with precision agriculture, which Carlson says has led to a new term, precision conservation.

She says P-F-I works with farmers to diagnose trouble spots, get them out of production and into some sort of conservation project.

(Union County, Iowa) – Officials with the Iowa Department of Natural Resources report the DNR’s Field Office 4 staff were notified Tuesday afternoon of wash water release from an Iowa Select livestock trailer wash facility in Union County.

The release, due to a broken check valve, caused approximately 5,000 gallons of wash water to overflow onto the ground. The wash water reached an unnamed tributary, which connects to Sevenmile Creek. A fish kill did not occur because the unnamed tributary is currently dry.

Iowa Select staff have taken action, including flushing and pumping the wash water out of the area, south of Highway 34 and downstream of the unnamed tributary to prevent wash water from reaching Sevenmile Creek.

The DNR will continue to monitor clean up efforts and consider appropriate enforcement action.

(Radio Iowa) – Farmers are traditionally the first to jump in and help when a neighbor is in trouble, but farmers may be very slow to help themselves, especially when it comes to their mental health and dealing with stress. Dr. Kimberly Lansing, a rural medicine specialist with the Gunderson Health System, says spring planting season looms in Iowa, what may be one of the most difficult times of the year for farmers and too few will seek counseling to cope. “Often, there are worries about a stigma associated with mental health, and people are afraid to seek help,” Lansing says. “Sometimes, they don’t know where to seek help, and so it’s a very interesting kind of plus-and-minus to a farming community.”

A University of Iowa study finds suicide rates were 45-percent higher for people in rural areas, and farmers stood out as having even higher rates compared to the general population. The U-I study found farmer suicide rates for the Midwest were three times the national average. Help is available through a variety of resources, including the Iowa Farm Bureau and the 9-8-8 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline. Lansing says farming is an exceptionally difficult career path, with continual challenges from the weather, equipment, labor, and the commodities markets.

“It’s always been this sort of a ‘pull yourself up by your bootstraps,’ you know, we’re the tough American farmer and people depend on us,” Lansing says. “It’s less than 1% of the population that are farmers, and they’re feeding this entire country, so there’s a responsibility that comes with that.” Some farmers have been on the same land for generations and she says nobody wants to be the one who loses the farm. Social isolation can be a real problem for farmers, Lansing says, and we need to learn to lean on each other more.

“People that are close to them, neighbors, fellow farmers, it’s really important when you do see these folks, to really kind of try to pick up on how things are going for them,” Lansing says. “It doesn’t hurt to grab an extra coffee, an extra pastry, and pop by your neighbor’s farm and say, ‘Hey I haven’t seen you in a while. How’s it going?'” Lansing says farmers need to consider how quickly they’d rush to help a neighbor in need.  “And try to give yourself that same amount of compassion and realize that you’re not just a number, you’re not just another farmer, you are part of the whole puzzle,” Lansing says, “and we need you to be there and we need to help you do your best to do what you love to do.”

The Gunderson Health System includes a hospital in West Union, and clinics in Fayette, Decorah, Waukon, Lansing, Postville and Calmar.

Jim Field visits with Cass County Emergency Management Coordinator Mike Kennon about severe weather awareness.

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w/Kate Olson.

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Jim Field visits with Iowa DOT District Transportation Planner Scott Suhr about area spring and summer road construction projects.

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Jim Field visits with Kate Olson about the Cass County Master Gardeners Scholarship and the Spring Garden Seminar.  The seminar will be held on Saturday, April 1, 2023 at the Cass County Community Center.  April 1 is also the deadline for scholarship applications.  To learn more about both visit:  www.extension.iastate.edu/cass.

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