Iowa Citizens Threaten Factory Farm with Lawsuit

The Iowa Citizens for Community Improvement and the Humane Society of the United States are threatening to file a lawsuit against the major pork producer The Maschhoffs, LLC, if it does not obtain a Clean Water Act permit within 60 days. This action comes after a clogged pipe on one of Maschhoffs’ Iowa factory farms led to toxic manure spilling into a creek that flows into the Des Moines River. The farm houses approximately 7,500 sows and produces nearly 11 million gallons of manure every year. A similar incident occurred in 2011 as well as in 2007, resulting in thousands of gallons of waste polluting nearby waterways, but despite this tainted history, the Department of Natural Resources has failed to require the factory farm to acquire a Clean Water Act Permit.