DES MOINES – Departing from its usual Tuesday meetings, the Environmental Protection Commission will meet at 1 p.m., Jan. 22, in the Wallace State Office Building auditorium, second floor, 502 E. Ninth St. in Des Moines.
The commission’s business meeting follows the annual joint meeting with the Natural Resources Commission, scheduled for 10 a.m. in the second floor north conference room of the Wallace building. Both meetings are open to the public.
Each commission will share highlights from 2019 at the joint meeting, followed by updates on current topics, including animal diseases and the Iowa Nutrient Reduction Strategy.
Commissioners will be asked to approve three contracts at the EPC’s business meeting. The first contract is with Iowa State University to monitor water quality as part of a federal/state effort to track progress and success of pollution reduction strategies.
A watershed planning contract in Des Moines County will address concerns about algal growth in Big Hollow Lake.
A third contract addresses the need for education on household hazardous materials. Results of a DNR survey showed young adults aren’t sure which materials are hazardous or how to properly dispose of them. Improper storage can increase the risk of accidents and poisonings. Public health records show nearly 7,500 accidental exposures and almost 3,600 children were poisoned by household hazardous materials in 2018. The contract would provide a multimedia campaign to increase residents’ ability to identify and safely dispose of these materials.
The meeting is open to the public. There is no scheduled public participation. Written comments may be submitted up to one day before the meeting to Jerah Sheets at Jerah.Sheets@dnr.iowa.gov or to DNR, 502 E. Ninth St., Des Moines, IA 50319.
The complete agenda follows:
Approval of Agenda
Approval of the Minutes
Monthly Reports
Director’s Remarks
Contract with Iowa State University
Contract with Des Moines Soil and Water Conservation District
Contract with Project 7 Design, Inc.
Notice of Intended Action: Chapters 9 and 50
General Discussion
Items for Next Month’s Meeting
- 18 – EPC Business Meeting – Polk County
- March 17 – EPC Business Meeting – Polk County
Find more information at https://www.iowadnr.gov/About-DNR/Boards-Commissions.
Commissioners include: Ralph Lents, Menlo, chair; Harold Hommes, Windsor Heights, vice chair; Bob Sinclair, Sigourney, Secretary; Stephanie Dykshorn, Ireton; Amy Echard, Farmersburg; Lisa Gochenour, Logan; Rebecca Guinn, Bettendorf; Howard Hill, Cambridge; and Tim Kaldenberg, Albia. Kayla Lyon is the DNR director.
Any person attending the public meeting who has special requirements such as those related to mobility or hearing impairments should contact the DNR or ADA Coordinator at 515-725-8200, Relay Iowa TTY Service 800-735-7942, or Webmaster@dnr.iowa.gov, and advise of specific needs.