5 So What Now?

Air pollution is something that needs to be taken more seriously within Iowa’s communities. The laws and regulations within Iowa and Iowas counties are not sufficient enough in regulating the very serious and real problem of air pollution. Iowa Department of Natural Resources (DNR) regulates and monitors air pollutants and the Air Act mandates states maintain strict levels of known air pollutants below national standards, there does not seem to be correct repercussions for businesses and major emitters who do not maintain the integrity of the Air Act. Major emitters are required to use lowest achievable rate technology and move into clean areas to use the best available control technology. While these rules do help in regulating Iowa’s air pollution, it is truly difficult to predict where to best place air pollution monitors. Some argue to place monitors in counties that are considered dirtiest in hopes to increase air quality, while others argue for the placement of monitors in cleaner areas where the use of new and cleaner technology is being used in order to maximize effectiveness. A recent initiative launched in 2020 titled Stand Up For Clean Air, celebrates the fiftieth anniversary of the Clean Air Act which is responsible for reducing air pollution in not only Iowa but much of the nation, and is also responsible for saving hundreds of thousands of lives every year. Stand Up For Clean Air encourages Des Moines citizens to commit to take action on air pollution and climate change.