Recently, the federal government has been investigating states along the Mississippi River that feed into the Gulf of Mexico about certain nutrients creating hazardous zones.

Republican Senator Jerry Behn says that a watershed task force wanted 12 states along the Mississippi River to create their own nutrient reduction program.  Senator Behn expresses that he was in favor of using a scientific and technology driven format so that they can be sure about what states are to blame for creating this environmental problem.

He points out that Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Bill Northey has been working on the issue and continues to discussion the potential that a voluntary cleanup program could be put in place.  He believes Iowa to be responsible enough to take care of the problem, if one persists, without the federal government having to put programs in place.

“Iowa is a leader.  It really does have the most productive soils and we need to be sure those are protected.  When we can show how voluntary systems are just as good as or better than some of the required systems, I think that’s just a step in the right direction and I think everybody wins with that.”

He says he wants to make sure that Iowa’s farmers aren’t misrepresented in the federal government’s eye.