Mission Statement
The purpose of the ABI Environment Committee is to inform its members about state and federal environmental legislation, regulations and policy, and to advocate for environmental legislation and regulations based on sound science in an effort to eliminate burdensome provisions, and to promote common sense practices and legislation that protect and improve the quality of our state’s natural resources.

General Statement
A quality environment not only enhances the attractiveness of Iowa as a location for business and industry, but it also adds to the welfare and enjoyment of all who live here, including our employees, ourselves, our families, and future generations. A quality environment and good jobs in a world economy mean we must wisely spend our available resources for assuring the maintenance of environmental quality using sustainability as a priority.

We support the efforts of environmental regulatory authorities to work proactively with business and industry, including expeditious review, to enhance economic growth and development. Decision-making should be done according to sound scientific evidence, environmental impact, rules and published departmental guidelines and should be consistently applied throughout the state.

The best tool for deciding which environmental projects and programs should receive the budgeted resources is to compare them on a risk/benefit basis. Environmental regulations should be based on sound scientific evidence and show significant environmental benefits and health-risk reduction. We encourage the state and federal government to use risk/benefit criteria as an early step in the review of existing and new environmental programs, and to achieve regulatory compliance primarily through assistance, rather than enforcement.

Water Quality Standards
ABI supports clean water resources and compliance with reasonable water quality standards. ABI will promote legislative remedies if standards appear to put business and industry at a disadvantage regionally or nationally. Any proposed changes to the state’s water quality program should be carefully directed to areas where the greatest impact for improvement can be achieved.

Iowa Air Quality Program
ABI believes Iowa’s air quality can best be protected by focusing the resources of the IDNR on significant air-emission and air-quality concerns. Reforms are needed in the IDNR’s air permitting programs. ABI is committed to work with IDNR to prioritize and develop these reforms ABI encourages IDNR to proactively deal with potential non-attainment areas through planning and by coordinating voluntary programs to reduce emissions.

Environmental Stringency
ABI advocates that state and local environmental legislation, regulations, and policies be no more stringent than federal environmental legislation, regulations, and policies.

Environmental Protection Funding
Environmental programs benefit all Iowans and therefore general fund appropriations should be the primary source of environmental program funding. User fees should be used only to supplement general fund appropriations. 

To ensure legislative oversight and IDNR accountability, permitting fees collected pursuant to a specific legislative provision should be restricted in their use to the purposes and objectives under which they are levied. Permitting fees should be assessed equitable among regulated industries. Fines should continue to be deposited in the General Fund.

Environmental Permitting
ABI supports consistent application of statutory and regulatory requirements within and between IDNR permitting programs. ABI believes IDNR should utilize a streamlined permit process and grant or deny a permit within a timeframe that assures business can compete is a fast-paced global economy. This process will improve department efficiency and set Iowa ahead of competing states in attracting new businesses. ABI supports the elimination of duplicative regulatory programs. 

Water Quantity
ABI supports statewide water use planning that addresses the interests of business and industry. ABI recognizes that water is an important resource and its availability is important to business. ABI opposes excessive fees that unfairly discriminate against industry versus other users.

Global Climate
Recognizing the global nature of climate issues, ABI cautions against policies that put Iowa business and industry at a competitive disadvantage. ABI advocates the need for responsible environmental policy based on sound science that provides incentives for energy reductions and allows business and industry to obtain credits for early greenhouse gas reductions. 

New Source Review Reform
ABI supports the revision of Iowa’s NSR regulations to increase flexibility and decrease regulatory burdens through the adoption of these revisions into the state implementation plan (SIP). ABI supports the elimination of permitting practices and other obstacles in order to use the EPA regulatory reforms.

Brownfields
ABI supports enhancement of the state Brownfields program by expanding property eligibility, expediting the redevelopment of Brownfields by using economic incentives and protecting the innocent land owner/purchaser/lessee from liability.

Consent Orders
ABI supports the adoption of legislation that will give the Department of Natural Resources authority to enter into mutually agreeable administrative consent orders irrespective of amount.

Environmental Audits
ABI believes that business and industry should be allowed to perform environmental self-audits without fear that the audit results might be used in legal actions. ABI supports the adoption of federal legislation which would similarly provide immunity from penalty and protect a company’s self-evaluation as privileged information. ABI supports a voluntary means of certifying or registering those who conduct audits.

Technical Compliance Assistance
ABI encourages the legislature and the Iowa Department of Natural Resources and Department of Economic Development to provide environmental education, technical information, and confidential compliance assistance services for business and industry.

Flow Control
ABI is opposed to legislation that would regulate the flow control of solid wastes. Flow control violates the free market concept, makes solid waste service more expensive, does not increase environmental protection, and provides for an increased potential of Superfund liability to companies.

Resource Management
Recycling of waters, by-products and reducing solid waste are important to Iowa’s environment. ABI believes the state and federal government should support, with incentives, education, and technical assistance, waste reduction, waste minimization, composting, waste energy facilities, and recycling activities that are cost-benefit justified, and the state and federal government should remove regulatory burdens that limit such incentives.

Resource Conservation Recovery Act (RCRA)
ABI supports continued management of the RCRA program by the United States Environmental Protection Agency.