15 State of Iowa Analysis of Environmental Justice – Celia James

Introduction:

The state of Iowa House File 49 defines environmental justice as “…the fair treatment and meaningful involvement of all people… which is achieved when everyone enjoys the same degree of protection from environmental and health hazards and equal access to the decision-making process to have a healthy environment in which to live, learn, and work”.  Environmental justice is an important public health issue in Iowa because there are environmental health disparities that burden residents and prevent all from having the same right to strong healthy communities to inhabit. Across the state people face burdens of energy, flood risk, air quality, agricultural loss, and poor quality of water on the daily. A major contributor to some poor environmental conditions that are faced is agricultural practices, with use of harsh fertilizers and pesticides, and agricultural production takes place in many areas of the state as it is a high economic contributor for Iowa. Environmental injustice impacts vulnerable populations most harshly; rural areas, low-income individuals, people of color, immigrants, the LGBTQIA+ population, those with disabilities, the elderly. This means that these groups of people need extra assistance and support to safeguard them from hazards. Achieving environmental justice is crucial to ensuring all individuals have the chance to attain overall health and wellbeing. (CJ)

Vulnerable Populations:

  Populations that are most susceptible to environmental injustices are people of color, immigrants, the LGBTQIA+ community, those with disabilities, the elderly, rural communities, and people with low-socioeconomic status. These marginalized groups of people are most at risk of environmental contaminants and concerns because they are faced with other intersecting inequities. Systemic and societal issues of structural racism, xenophobia, redlining, homophobia, limitations of social supports, and lack of education correlate to the increased risk of environmental injustice. Environmental justice is correlated to the Social Determinants of Health; access to quality education, access to quality healthcare, socioeconomic status, neighborhood and built environment, and social and community context. Lesser access to quality baseline necessities for overall health outcomes places individuals at a higher risk of experiencing situations of environmental contaminants and hazards. (CJ)

The LGBTQIA+ community faces high environmental burdens that are interconnected with social harms of homophobia and anti-queer legislation. Exposures are disproportionately affecting this vulnerable population due to the lack of resources that specifically target these individuals and their inequities. (Goldsmith, et. al. 2021) People within the LGBTQIA+ population are more likely to be increasingly impacted by environmental contaminants and lack of access to environmental resources as climate change effects rise. There is a lack of research that has been conducted on the environmental disparities that LGBTQIA+ people face. However, it is known that systemic factors of discrimination alter built environment options that queer people have to choose from. (Martin, Emily, 2021) Recently, Iowa House File 581 was signed into law by Governor Kim Reynolds. This removed transgender and non-binary Iowans from the Iowa Civil Rights Act, stripping them of protections against discrimination regarding housing, education, employment, and more. (One Iowa, 2025) Built environment, where individuals live and work, exposes them to varying environmental contaminants. (Goldsmith, et. al., 2021) When access to safe environments for the LGBTQIA+ population is limited, this is an environmental injustice. (CJ)

Iowa is made up of 99 counties, 77 of which are rural. (Iowa PBS, 2024) Within small towns and rural regions, there is less access to environmental risk assistance and support than exists in larger urban areas. Larger portions of rural and small-town populations live in older homes and agriculture heavy areas within Iowa. More environmental exposures are present in smaller towns, and they fly under the radar of imposed regulations. These regions have high levels of poverty, lack of education, and further isolation. Vulnerable populations in rural areas face multiple disparities at once, placing them in situations of poor health outcomes. This means much of the state has areas that are not receiving assistance for the environmental injustice residents are encountering. (Shirtcliff, 2021) Rural regions have higher exposures of diesel, toxic particulates in the air, lead paint in homes, and heavy agricultural chemicals. (Ruane, et. al., 2025) Although rural areas in Iowa are facing higher levels of environmental exposures, there is a lack of primary care providers in those regions. There has been an 8% decrease in providers within the last decade, causing increased healthcare deserts among this subsect of vulnerable populations. (Iowa PBS, 2024) (CJ)

Historic context of redlining and interstate construction projects within Iowa forced communities of people of color into poor quality housing. Immigrants face barriers to accessing environmental justice resources due to language and cultural differences as well as xenophobic discrimination. The elderly have fewer social supports and decreased personal abilities, making them more susceptible to environmental health burdens. (CJ)

Environmental Burdens:

An environmental burden is an indicator that negatively impacts health, a pollutant, or both. Resources are inequitably distributed when it comes to environmental burdens. Environmental burdens within Iowa, as described by the Iowa Environmental Council, are primarily made up of energy burden, flood risk, air quality, and agricultural loss. Across Iowa the communities that have been highlighted as the highest risk of environmental injustice, facing the greatest overall environmental burdens are Sioux City, Des Moines, Ottumwa, Cedar Rapids, and Waterloo. Disadvantaged communities are made up of vulnerable populations who are also experiencing a high prevalence of one or more environmental burdens. The Iowa Environmental Council is prioritizing environmental advocacy and interventions around these communities. Storm Lake, Council Bluffs, Keokuk, Dubuque, and Davenport are other communities within Iowa that face higher levels of environmental burdens. (Iowa Environmental Council CEJST Analysis) (CJ)

Energy burden is the amount of annual income that is put towards energy bill payments. If the burden is higher, a larger proportion of overall income is being allocated towards energy every year. This covers electricity, internet, heating, and cooling. The energy burden is calculated when the annual energy cost is divided by the annual household income. If the yearly total cost on energy is 6% or more of an annual household income this is considered energy burden. Low overall accessibility to energy is prevalent within areas of higher energy burden. (Iowa Environmental Council CEJST Analysis) (CJ)

Communities with flood risk burden have a high possibility of experiencing mass flooding events within the next thirty years. Floods will result from tides, riverine, storm surges, and rain. These locations primarily are located near major rivers and other water sources across the state. Weather events cause damage to property, loss of life, and limit access to resources.  (Iowa Environmental Council CEJST Analysis) (CJ)                                                                                          

Air quality burden consists of the level of particulate matter that is 2.5 micrometer diameters (PM2.5) or smaller within the environment. (Iowa Environmental Council CEJST Analysis) PM2.5 comes directly from vehicles, industrial plants, fossil fuels, and concentrated animal feeding operations. If present, this particulate matter is capable of being inhaled and transmitted into the bloodstream, which leads to adverse health impacts. A high air quality burden indicates elevated levels of PM2.5 within the region for an extended period of time. “Over 100,000,000 people live in areas exceeding the US EPA’s… standards for ozone and fine particulate matter” (Goldsmith and Bell, 2021). (CJ)

Agricultural loss burden is calculated by the value of the agriculture and the environmental hazards within the vicinity. Hazardous sites release toxic substances into the air, water, and soil, diminishing agricultural yield. The loss of crops and will burden the state of Iowa as climate change worsens. As agricultural loss takes place, erosion becomes more prevalent and runoff into water sources occurs. This environmental burden impacts the income of agricultural workers in the effected regions. (Iowa Environmental Council CEJST Analysis) (CJ)

Agriculture and Water Quality:

Iowa experiences environmental issues tied to the large agricultural business that is found around the state. Agriculture is a major economy booster in Iowa, and the rich soils and flat prairie lands makes the state a perfect contender for vast corn, soybean, and pig production. This however has consequences on the health of the environment and the residents across the state. The acres of farmed land draws nutrients from the soil and increases occurrence of erosion, which in turn has led to the pollution of waterways across Iowa. During the erosion process of soil, the topsoil is lost, reducing the capability to hold water in the ground. Droughts and runoff are side effects of topsoil loss. When key parts of nutrient rich soil are lost, farmers are turning to fertilizer usage. Commercial farms also heavily utilize pesticides and insecticides to ward off any insects or pests that may damage the crops. These chemicals are washing away from the eroded fields and into the water sources in Iowa. Nitrogen and phosphorus, coming from manure and chemical fertilizers, are found in high levels within the waterways across the state as a result of this. (CJ)

Factory pig farms are also largely found in Iowa, producing 109 billion pounds of waste per year (Ruane et. al., 2025). Manure is collected and not properly disposed of, leeching into drinking water sources. Inspecting the map that is shown above, detailing the Iowa Department of Natural Resources filed manure violations against factory farms, it is very clear how many of these farms are located directly along waterways. Access to clean water is necessary to the thriving of human life. Nitrate contamination in water can cause a vast array of health problems such as thyroid issues and types of cancers. The contaminant levels in water have increased overtime and are being labeled as high risk to Iowans. Those in vulnerable populations are facing higher levels of exposure across Iowa; people of color, those with disabilities, the elderly, communities of lower socioeconomic status, etc. (Emmanuel et. al. 2023) Communities with more vulnerable populations are more susceptible to poor quality water and less access to interventions that are taking place to increase the water quality. (Ruane et. al., 2025) (CJ)

Highly industrialized agricultural zones around Iowa face the highest rates of increasing nitrate levels. The city of Des Moines pulls drinking water from the Des Moines River and the Racoon River. These water sources are lined by farm fields and factory animal farms, further upstream. “Fertilizers contribute over half of the nitrate in the two rivers, and manure from factory farms contributes another 15%” (Ruane et. al., 2025). (CJ)

The higher agricultural contaminants in water around the state have also led to higher costs for water bills, and this can become unaffordable for many in lower socioeconomic situations. Factory farms in Iowa paid a total of less than $730,000 of fines for the 179 illegal waste spills that occurred within the last 10 years. Residents of the state on the other hand, are paying huge sums in total on their water bills. This money is going towards the removal of pollutants and nitrates from drinking water. Those with lower socioeconomic status are facing economic burdens from their water bills. Des Moines Water Works has the 7th highest rate of water shut offs in the United States. 260,000 Iowans utilize private wells to access water and 1 in 10 wells have nitrate levels that are deemed unsafe and must be treated by the individual well owner. (Ruane et. al., 2025)  (CJ)

“Water is life”. Think about all the ways that water is used by people on a daily basis; cleaning, washing clothes, cooking, drinking, bathing, flushing the toilet, etc. When there is a lack of access to quality water individuals’ safety is compromised. Communities facing disparities with water access will in turn have a poorer state of overall health and wellbeing. The state of Iowa Department of Natural Resources does set forth efforts to reduce runoff and improve overall water quality and access. Although, specifics regarding inequities surrounding water quality and access are not actively being investigated by this department. (Iowa Department of Natural Resources) (CJ)

Impacts:

Iowans face negative health impacts from environmental concerns and will continue to until environmental justice is achieved. The incidence of cancer rates in Iowa are rising at an alarming rate, placing the state at the 2nd highest cancer incidence in the United States. (Iowa Cancer Registry) Environmental contaminants and play a major role in these rates with air pollutants, nitrates in water sources, and chemical exposures. Radon is another key factor of cancer in the state. The high levels of radon, a naturally occurring radioactive gas, lead to lung cancer. Regular testing for radon in homes, schools, and workplaces and the installation of mitigation systems greatly reduce the risk of cancer caused by radon. This is not readily accessible to all Iowans however, because of the cost and lack of available testing resources. The rate of cancer diagnoses and mortalities among Black Iowan residents are drastically higher than those of their white counterparts. This is directly correlated to systemic racism. (Iowa Cancer Registry) (CJ)

Organizations:

There are multiple environmental justice programs and coalitions in place within the state working to achieve environmental justice in Iowa for all. Both governmental and non-governmental organizations and efforts are focused on this public health issue. These include the Iowa Environmental Council, the Iowa Department of Natural Resources, the Environmental Law and Policy Center, the Great Plains Action Society, and the recently defunded Heartland Environmental Justice Center. The state of Iowa has a limited number of environmental justice organizations and programs, with coverage gaps across the 99 counties. (CJ)

The Iowa Environmental Council is the largest environmental coalition in the state of Iowa, forming connections between organizations with an overarching goal of achieving environmental justice for all. They work at the policy level, practice advocacy, promote education, and bring awareness to environmental health issues and injustices. (Iowa Environmental Council) The Iowa Department of Natural Resources manages and improves the natural resources around the state to improve the quality of life. Through the Iowa Department of Natural Resources there is a promise to provide services to all individuals under a notice of nondiscrimination, although there is not a specified environmental justice program in place through this department. (Iowa Department of Natural Resources) The Environmental Law and Policy Center pursues environmental justice across the Midwest region through legal and policy lenses. (Environmental Law and Policy Center) Great Plains Action Society is made up of Indigenous activists living in the Great Plains region, to fight against the oppression facing their population and increase Indigenous health through the environment. (Great Plains Action Society) These programs are actively advocating for the health of the environment in all communities throughout the state of Iowa, supporting populations in vulnerable positions. Heartland Environmental Justice Center worked alongside the Iowa Environmental Council to provide services related to water quality, water quantity, and energy justice to communities lacking federal funding for environmental hazard issues prior to being defunded. Federal funding was halted from the Trump administration, which is currently preventing any further initiative actions to be taken. (Heartland Environmental Justice Center) (CJ)

Interventions:

The Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program is federally funded and offsets the costs of energy burdens on low-income families. Heating and cooling are paid for by this program to reduce the impacts that expensive utilities bills can cause on low-income individuals. As climate change continues to worsen, extreme temperatures are becoming more common, and energy bills are rising in price. (Plumer, Brad, 2025) This program assists those that are at the 200% federal poverty guidelines or below. The federal Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program office allocates funding to each state to utilize for energy burden reduction. (Iowa Health and Human Services) (CJ)

Within the last month, the restructuring of the Federal Department of Health and Human Services by Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has removed all staff that oversee and allocate funding at the national level. This leaves the program at an unclear status, with $378 million left in funding at the national level and zero staff members to continue dispersing funds. (Plumer, Brad, 2025) (CJ)

In 2021, the Biden Administration began the Justice40 Initiative to allocate 40% of benefits from federal climate improvement programs to vulnerable populations. Communities with few environmental improvement resources and high levels of environmental contaminants and exposures benefit from this initiative. Historic inequities of redlining, highway construction, water treatment resources, and housing quality face these populations. The executive order from President Biden that created Justice40 also created the Climate and Economic Justice Screening Tool. This utilizes data and maps out disadvantaged communities and environmental burdens to mark which communities face the most overall environmental impacts and are in need of resources. (Iowa Environmental Council) (CJ)

However, within the last few months the current Trump administration has rescinded the prior executive order for the Justice40 Initiative funding allocation and further data analysis for the Climate and Economic Justice Screening Tool. This leaves many disadvantaged communities without resources yet again to target environmental burdens. (Environmental and Energy Law Program, Harvard Law School, 2025) (CJ)

The Iowa Environmental Council has analyzed data and created the Climate Change and Environmental Health Map to detail all environmental burdens and determinants of health outcomes that the counties in Iowa are facing. This coalition also analyzed data from the federal Climate and Economic Justice Screening Tool to determine which counties in Iowa face the greatest burdens and which are most prevalent. These resources bring awareness to the challenges that vulnerable populations face with environmental injustices and make the data available to stakeholders, legislators, and the general public. Education and advocacy are beneficial tools to create change. (Iowa Environmental Council) (CJ)

Conclusion:

Environmental justice is an important public health issue in Iowa because there are environmental health disparities that burden residents and prevent all from having the same right to strong healthy communities to inhabit. Across the state burdens of energy, flood risk, air quality, agricultural loss, and poor quality of water are faced on the daily. The climate is changing, increasing the prevalence of extreme weather events and temperatures, and in return environmental burdens are rising. Environmental justice cannot be achieved in the state of Iowa until all vulnerable populations are provided with additional support to tackle environmental burdens. Recent public health funding cuts and changes made to the permitted practice of diversity, equity, and inclusion within systems, to align with the current administration, place barriers to reaching this goal. Amidst these shifts, overall health and wellbeing for all must be a priority within the push for environmental justice. (CJ)

Personal Statement:

Throughout the course of this group project, I focused my research on the state of Iowa analysis of environmental justice. The direct correlation between vulnerable populations and environmental health is something I had some awareness on prior to this assignment. However, I have gained further interest in the environmental health sector of the public health field as I have expanded my knowledge on this topic. Prior to this course, I had not yet come across a project that required this level of research and extensive writing that takes place over the course of the semester. Analyzing peer-reviewed journal articles, non-governmental organization websites, and government bureau websites for current and useful information proved to be an intricate task. The research process was made more difficult for the topic of environmental justice because of the removal of numerous resources that are federally funded, in compliance with orders from the current administration. Many sources that I found during my initial scope of research at the beginning of the semester were removed from public access after I had pulled information from the websites. Organizations receiving federal funding that focused their work on environmental justice, and similar topics, are now either underfunded or unable to continue operation. Due to this, some sources were unable to be cited, and I had to remove information from my section of the project. From my standpoint as a public health student, the action of removing publicly accessible information on health disparities that primarily impact vulnerable populations upholds the disparities and environmental injustices that people already face. (CJ)

Environmental justice is an interesting topic to me, especially as a public health student. Many of my classes for the major thus far have focused on larger regions when discussing health disparities, vulnerable populations, and overall health outcomes associated with environmental exposures. Throughout this research project, I have learned information focused just on the state of Iowa. Specifically looking at the state level environmental health impacts and inequities is important to me as I have lived in Iowa for the entirety of my life. I have been fortunate to have readily accessible healthcare near me and have experienced few environmental burdens myself. However, the city of Des Moines, where I grew up, is considered one of the areas of the state that is facing high overall environmental burdens. Although Des Moines is an urban area, with greater access to healthcare facilities, there are many vulnerable populations that are susceptible to environmental hazards. (CJ)

As a child, I lived in an old home where I was exposed to lead paint. I remember receiving blood lead level tests annually during the years we lived in that home. For the duration of my Kindergarten through 12th grade education, I was a student within the Des Moines Public Schools district. This district is the largest and most diverse across the state of Iowa, giving me awareness from a young age about the disparities that some of my peers faced at home such as energy burden and low-income status. We were educated on access to quality water and air pollution, as well as working to dismantle oppressive systems that harmed the overall wellbeing of all communities. From there, my passion grew for working to improve the lives of those facing disparities. Overall health and wellbeing cannot be achieved in Iowa until environmental conditions are improved and vulnerable populations are no longer facing extreme environmental burdens. (CJ)

References:

About | Great Plains Action Society. (n.d.). GreatPlainsAction. https://www.greatplainsaction.org/about

ArcGIS Web Application. (n.d.). https://iaenvironment.maps.arcgis.com/apps/webappviewer/index.html?id=e5e3b25ec60547afb7c19def0fe9a583&extent=-11330956.7894%2C4783928.244%2C-9452440.3822%2C5584988.3005%2C102100

Climate Initiatives and Community Resiliency – Iowa Environmental Council. (n.d.). https://www.iaenvironment.org/our-work/climateinitiatives/

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Disparities in Exposure to Elevated Nitrate within Iowa Public Water Systems. (n.d.). ADS. https://ui.adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/2023AGUFM.H23X1873P/abstract

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Environmental Law and Policy Center. (2025, April 15). About us | Environmental Law & Policy Center. Environmental Law & Policy Center. https://elpc.org/about/

Goldsmith, L., & Bell, M. L. (2021). Queering Environmental Justice: Unequal environmental health burden on the LGBTQ+ community. American Journal of Public Health, 112(1), 79–87. https://doi.org/10.2105/ajph.2021.306406

Health care options in rural Iowa disappearing. (n.d.). Iowa PBS. https://www.iowapbs.org/shows/mtom/market-feature/clip/11558/health-care-options-rural-iowa-disappearing

Heartland Environmental Justice Center. (n.d.). Request TCGM technical assistance. Heartland Environmental Justice Center – a Thriving Communities Technical Assistance Center. https://heartlandej.org/

Isenhart. (2023). House File 49. https://www.legis.iowa.gov/docs/publications/LGI/90/HF49.pdf

Low-Income Home Energy Assistance (LIHEAP). (n.d.). Health & Human Services. https://hhs.iowa.gov/programs/programs-and-services/liheap

Ruane, K., Mankel, M., Breon, J., Ruane, K., Mankel, M., & Breon, J. (2025, March 17). The devastating toll of factory farm water pollution in Iowa. Food & Water Watch. https://www.foodandwaterwatch.org/2025/01/29/iowa-factory-farm-water-pollution/

Rollback: Trump rescinded Biden’s executive Order 14008 Establishing Justice40 Initiative – Environmental and Energy Law Program. (n.d.). https://eelp.law.harvard.edu/tracker/rollback-trump-rescinded-bidens-executive-order-14008-that-established-justice40-initiative/

Study: Environmental risks exacerbated for vulnerable populations in small towns – News Service. (n.d.). https://www.news.iastate.edu/news/study-environmental-risks-exacerbated-vulnerable-populations-small-towns

Water quality – Iowa Environmental Council. (n.d.). https://www.iaenvironment.org/our-work/clean-water-and-land-stewardship/water-quality