CO2 Pipeline Update

• March 26, 11:30: Carbon Pipeline Opposition Rally & Lobby Day at the Capitol

• Sierra Club files motion to consolidate Summit's 16 dockets

• Summit Informational Meetings Denied

• Protect Our Water from Carbon Pipelines

Legislative Updates

Climate Change

• Home Efficiency and Electrification Rebate Programs

• 3 Iowa Cities Submit Climate Plans

• Save the Date, April 25, webinar “Dirty Truth on Berkshire Hathaway Energy”

• May 4, Berkshire Hathaway Rally and link to RSVP

Protecting the Environment

• Good Neighbor Plan - ozone protection

• EPA Finalizes Rule to Reduce Ethylene Oxide Pollution by 90%

• New Impaired Waters List

• Save the date - May 4, 2024, Outing to Whiterock Conservancy

• Lunch and Learns Fridays at noon

Plus

• Contribute to the Iowa Chapter

• Volunteer for the Iowa Chapter

• Calendar of events

• To see the archive of previous Iowa Chapter newsletters

• To see the White Pine Needle newsletter

  

Photo by Richard Worm, Faraway Farm

March 26: Carbon Pipeline Opposition Rally & Lobby Day at the Capitol

Join us on Tuesday March 26 at 11:30am at the Iowa Capitol, 1007 E Grand Ave, Des Moines, for a Rally Against the Carbon Pipelines.  Following the rally, we'll head inside for meetings with legislators and educational tables in the Rotunda.  Wear Red!  

11:30am - Rally on the West Capitol Steps

12:30pm - Meetings with Legislators - Rooms 304 and 305

1:30pm - Individual Lobbying

2:30pm - Tables and demonstrations in the Rotunda

Sierra Club files motion to consolidate Summit's 16 dockets

Over the past couple of months Summit announced two expansions, picking up some of the Valero and POET ethanol plants previously on Navigator CO2 Ventures route.  The expansions add over 340 miles to the route and could mean significant changes to Summit’s original application.  

Just last week, Summit opened up 14 new dockets at the Iowa Utilities Board (IUB) for the proposed POET and Valero expansions.  Summit now has 16 total open dockets.  This appears to be a blatant attempt to undermine opposition to the carbon pipeline project.

Summit doesn't even have approval for their first docket so what are they expanding?  You can't expand something that doesn't exist.  IUB needs to consolidate all dockets and start over so we can consider the project as a whole.  

• Opening multiple dockets burdens landowners, IUB staff and other parties who have to do additional work for each docket, including reviews, filings, hearings, orders and more.
• There will be no cumulative review on the impacts to our water, land and communities. The process to capture CO2 at ethanol plants requires a lot of water.  Iowa is already facing a record setting drought and communities across the state are dealing with water scarcity issues. The process should pause so we can understand the cumulative impact the Summit pipeline will have on our aquifers.
• Newly impacted landowners, many who have not been notified yet, have not had the opportunity to engage in the nearly three year process thus far.
• Considering all 16 dockets means Summit is far from 75% of voluntary easements.

Sierra Club Iowa Chapter’s Attorney, Wally Taylor, filed a Motion to Reopen Summit’s original docket and consolidate all the other dockets into the original.  You can read the motion here.

Attorneys representing other parties including Farm Bureau, Counties, and landowners filed similar motions calling on the IUB to reopen the original docket and consolidate all 16 dockets.

Summit Informational Meetings Denied

The first step for a pipeline company after opening a docket with the IUB is scheduling informational meetings in every impacted county.  Summit submitted requests for 22 public informational meetings from April 22 to May 9, right in the middle of planting season!  Click here for a list of all the new dockets, links to county maps and which routes are in which dockets.

On Thursday, IUB issued an order denying Summit’s proposed informational meeting schedule and said the meetings must not occur before June, 2024.

Soon, thousands of landowners across the state will receive notice that they are on Summit’s expansion routes.  It is critical that landowners hear from us first, not Summit.  Here are the top ways to spread the word to newly impacted landowners and make sure they know the truth about Summit Carbon Pipeline.

What you can do

1. Submit an Objection to all the new dockets so the newly impacted landowners can hear from other Iowans about the projects.  Talk about your experience with Summit over the past two years and why you haven't signed an easement.  Tell them why they shouldn't sign an easement. You can email IUB Customer Service at customer@iub.iowa.gov and reference all 16 docket numbers. Click here for a list of all the docket numbers.
2. Write Letters to the Editor in newly impacted areas.  Let people in the area know why they should be concerned about carbon pipelines.
3. Attend the IUB Informational Meetings when they are scheduled.

Protect Our Water from Carbon Pipelines

Summit’s and Wolf’s proposed carbon pipeline projects not only threaten our land, they threaten our water too.  Summit’s “phase 1” project alone could squander 500,000,000 gallons of water from our aquifers annually. Summit’s “phase 2 & 3”, Wolf and another other future project more than doubles that amount.

In mid-2023, we got word that Summit was applying for water withdrawal permits at each of the ethanol plants signed up with the project.  DNR approved the first permit in Lawler for 55.9 million gallons of water annually from the Devonian Aquifer.  Intense scrutiny from Iowans followed.  Nearly four months after the public comment period ended on the 2nd application in Goldfield for 27.6 million gallons of water annually from the Mississippian Limestone Aquifer, the DNR has still not made its decision. 

Public water for Carbon Capture technology is not a Beneficial Use of Iowa water.  Please take action below to protect Iowa’s water from the Summit and Wolf proposed carbon pipelines.

Iowa is already facing a record setting drought and communities across the state are dealing with water scarcity issues.  As reports of towns placing water restrictions on residents and private wells drying up increase, Iowans demand wise decisions on water usage to ensure that our public water is available for generations to come.  We do not believe using public water for Carbon Capture and Storage is a Beneficial Use of Iowa’s precious water resources.
 

Take Action!  Send a message to the Iowa DNR - michael.anderson@dnr.iowa.gov.  Ask Michael Anderson of the Iowa DNR to please deny the Summit’s Goldfield SCS LLC water withdrawal request and any future water withdrawal requests for Carbon Capture and Storage.

Legislative Update

The second funnel has passed.  At this stage, most bills must have been passed by one chamber (House or Senate) and passed through a committee of the other chamber in order to continue moving through the legislative process.

Issues that were blocked by the funnel include:

• allowing state agencies to hire CPAs to audit financial records instead of the state auditor - sf2311, Sierra Club opposed this bill
• preventing the Department of Natural Resources from acquiring land by auction - sf2324, Sierra Club opposed this bill
• study on pelican predation, which would look at recommendations for killing pelicans - sf2326, Sierra Club opposed this bill
• allowing open feedlots to spread manure before nutrient management plans are approved - sf2371, Sierra Club opposed this bill
• updating building codes to require passive radon mitigation to be built in new single-family or two-family homes - hf2491, Sierra Club supported this bill
• providing protection of black bear from hunting by putting the black bear on the furbearer list - hf175, Sierra Club supported this bill

A number of bills that Sierra Club is lobbying for and against remain active.  These include:

• election law changes - hf2610, sf2380.  Sierra Club opposes banning drop boxes and requiring absentee ballots to be received by the county auditor the day before the election instead of election day
• removing or reducing property tax exemption on forest reserves - hf2093, sf548 - Sierra Club opposes removing the property tax exemption from forest reserves
• authorizing Iowa to join the midwest passenger rail compact - hf591, sf2315, Sierra Club supports this bill
• Carbon dioxide pipeline applications can be taken to court for a declaratory order - hf2522, Sierra Club supports this bill
• bans city ordinances requiring a specified number of inches of topsoil being returned to building sites and enhanced storm water protection on building sites - sf455.  Sierra Club opposes this bill.
• $5 bounty on raccoon tails - hf2481.  Sierra Club opposes this bill.
• tax issues, budget - we are carefully watching the tax and budget bills since they affect funding for parks and recreation and enforcement of environmental laws.  These bills will be introduced over the coming days and weeks.

The old saying about the legislature is "it's not over until the final gavel falls".  We will continue monitoring the bills, including amendments, and lobbying until the final gavel falls.

If you want to stay on top of the legislative issues we are engaged in, check out our blog

If you want to contact your legislator:

To find your legislators, see www.legis.iowa.gov/legislators/find

Photo Credit, Richard Worm, Faraway Farm 

Good Neighbor Plan

In March, 2023, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) released its final Good Neighbor Plan under the Clean Air Act.  The plan addresses interstate air pollution caused by the ozone-precursor pollution - nitrogen oxides.  This pollution forms ground-level ozone, which is also known as smog.  The pollution, which is released by power plants and industrial facilities, can travel hundreds of miles downwind and cross state borders.  

Smog exacerbates serious lung and heart diseases and causes premature deaths.  Children are especially at risk from exposure to smog since their lungs are still developing.  Long-term exposure to smog is linked to aggravating asthma and is likely to be one of the many causes that lead to developing asthma.  Folks who are elderly and people who are active outdoors are also at risk for health problems caused by smog.  All of this can lead to costly medical issues, such as hospitalizations, emergency room visits, medications, missed work and missed days at school.

You may have heard of ozone and thought it was a good thing.  It is indeed beneficial when it’s up in the stratosphere, helping to block dangerous UV radiation from reaching the ground.  Addressing the “ozone hole” in our upper atmosphere by regulating ozone-depleting substances is one of the great successes of the environmental movement. 

However, the causes of ground-level ozone are unrelated, and also need to be addressed.  That is where the Good Neighbor Plan comes in.  

The Good Neighbor Plan requires upwind states to eliminate emissions that lead to unhealthy levels of pollution in downwind states.  Twenty-three states are required to reduce their emissions under the Good Neighbor Plan.  If an upwind state fails to meet its Good Neighbor obligations, the Clean Air Act requires that EPA step in by promulgating a Federal Implementation Plan, which would help restore healthy air to those states that are downwind.   

There is an extra benefit to the upwind states, since the pollution also affects residents living in the upwind states.

On March 4, EPA held a public comment session about adding five more states, including Iowa, to the Good Neighbor Plan.  Iowa will be included in the Good Neighbor Plan in 2025.  That is called the Supplemental States Rule.  A number of Iowans told EPA that they supported adding Iowa to the Good Neighbor Plan.  Tom Reardon, Iowa Chapter Executive Committee member told EPA, "As grandfather, with grandkids with respiratory problems that are exacerbated by NOx and other pollutants, I would just urge you to require Iowa and all states included in this plan to set the highest possible standards for the reduction of NOx and other pollutants regardless of cost to industry."

What the Proposed Supplement States Rule does

EPA proposes to find that Arizona, New Mexico, Iowa, Kansas, and Tennessee contribute to ozone problems in downwind states, and thus must reduce emissions of ozone precursor pollution (NOx).

• New Mexico, Iowa, Kansas, and Tennessee would have to reduce pollution by optimizing controls at power plants
• Arizona would have to optimize controls at power plants, but also follow-up with new controls at power plants and reductions from other industrial sources.
• The downwind states affected by Arizona, New Mexico, Iowa, Kansas, and Tennessee are Wyoming, Nevada, Texas, Michigan, Wisconsin, and Illinois

Michigan, Wisconsin, and Illinois are currently reducing pollution under the Good Neighbor Plan.  It is only fair to require the states polluting them to do their fair share.

As Neil Waggoner, deputy director for federal energy campaigns for the Sierra Club, stated, "This is the essence of being a good neighbor: a commitment to collective well-being and justice, that transcends the lines on a map."

For more information:

• EPA Good Neighbor Plan
• Sierra Club Fact Sheet on Good Neighbor Plan
• Sierra Club statement on Good Neighbor Plan SCOTUS hearing
• Columbus Dispatch: OPED: Why does Ohio insist on being a bad environmental neighbor?

EPA Finalizes Rule to Reduce Ethylene Oxide Pollution by 90%

Earlier this month the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) finalized a rule that will slash emissions of the hazardous air pollutant ethylene oxide (EtO) by 90 percent from commercial sterilizing facilities.  Ethylene oxide is one of the most carcinogenic chemicals EPA regulates.  Communities at the fenceline of commercial sterilizers currently experience cancer risks as high as 6,000 in one million.

The final rule updates the National Emission Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants (NESHAP) under the Clean Air Act for ethylene oxide commercial sterilization facilities.  Exposure to ethylene oxide emissions for workers and those living near sterilization facilities can cause a variety of life-threatening health impacts, including breast cancer, leukemia, and nervous system damage.

• The rule will reduce ethylene oxide emissions by 90%.  EPA projects this will bring every fenceline community around each sterilizer facility (about 90) below a key cancer rate threshold (100 in 1,000,000) under the Clean Air Act and it will reduce the number of people above the 1 in 1000 metric by 92%. 

• It will require continuous emissions monitoring systems for all but the smallest sources of ethylene oxide.  This will help ensure pollution control equipment is operating effectively.

• EPA will require quarterly reporting of emissions data, and will post that information publicly, providing impacted communities with information about their air quality.

In response, Sierra Club Senior Attorney Zachary Fabish released the following statement, “Workers and communities living near the nearly 90 commercial sterilization facilities across the country are overwhelmingly and disproportionately burdened with exposure to EtO and other toxic chemicals, and have been sounding the alarm about the devastating impacts of this industrial pollution for decades. Today’s announcement is a critical step toward rectifying the injustices faced by those who have been most impacted by EtO pollution, and demonstrates the Biden EPA’s commitment to protecting the health of workers, their families, and communities nationwide.”

Grimes, Iowa, is home to a commercial sterilizer, American Contract Systems.  The emissions from the sterilizer put the health of the neighbors at risk [1]:  

• 153,006 people live within 5 miles of American Contract Systems
• 17.5% are people of color
• 17.3% are low income
• 1.5% have limited English language proficiency
• 150 schools and child care centers are in the area of the sterilizer
• In the census track where American Contract Systems is located, ethylene oxide contributes roughly 31.5% of the overall cancer risks from toxic air pollutants

[1] Union of Concerned Scientists, "Ethylene Oxide: Invisible Threat, Inequitable Impact", February, 2023, https://storymaps.arcgis.com/stories/c5e0665091804317b617f61c79ba09bd

Home Efficiency and Electrification Rebate Programs

The federal Inflation Reduction Act includes a rebate program that funds homeowner's energy efficiency updates and electrification projects, such as converting from a gas range to an electric range, efficient air conditioners, electric heat pump water heater, electric heat pump for space heating and cooling, electric heat pump clothes dryer, insulation, air sealing, windows, doors, smart thermostats, electric panel upgrades, and electric wiring. 

Iowa has not rolled out these programs yet, but the Iowa Economic Development Authority has a webpage where you can sign up to be alerted once the program has been implemented.  Here is a link to Iowa's Residential Energy Efficiency Program.

According to materials on the Economic Development webpage, Iowa is expected to be awarded:

• "Home Owner Managing Energy Savings (HOMES) Rebate Program: Iowa expects to receive over $60 million in funding to provide rebates for energy efficiency retrofits ranging from $2,000-$8,000 for individual households and up to $400,000 for multifamily buildings.
• High-Efficiency Electric Home Rebates (HEEHRA) Program: Iowa expects to receive approximately $60 million in funding to provide prescriptive rebates on a percentage of the cost for an efficiency project based on household income, with a rebate cap of $14,000.
• Contractor and Auditor Training Programs (50123): Iowa expects to receive just over $2 million to attract, train, certify and retain a diverse set of local workers to deliver the influx of new federally-funded energy efficiency and electrification programs."

3 Iowa Cities Submit Climate Plans

This month three Iowa cities – Des Moines, Cedar Rapids, and Iowa City - submitted their climate action plans to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).  The Des Moines plan covers Polk, Guthrie, Dallas, Story, Jasper, Madison, and Warren Counties.  The joint Cedar Rapids and Iowa City plan covers Linn, Johnson, Benton, Iowa, Washington, and Jones Counties.  See the EPA news release, "45 states, large metro areas submit climate action plans under President Biden’s Inflation Reduction Act", March 11, 2024 

Implementing these plans will have great community benefits – reducing greenhouse gas emissions, providing good-paying jobs, lowering energy costs for those residents’ who take advantage of the programs, and improving the energy efficiency in government buildings.

As part of the next steps, the communities will develop Comprehensive Climate Action Plans.  Also EPA will be awarding grants to implement the plans, as part of the Climate Pollution Reduction Grant Program.

You can review the plans: Des Moines plan and the joint Cedar Rapids/Iowa City plan

Money became available for Des Moines, Cedar Rapids, and Iowa City when the state of Iowa rejected a $3 million grant to plan for climate pollution reduction.  The money was being offered to every state by the federal Environmental Protection Agency.  Debi Durham, head of Iowa Economic Development Authority, indicated that she recommended to Governor Reynolds that Iowa not participate because the program had strings attached. [1,2]  It is not clear what the strings were or are.  However, a spokesperson for Iowa Economic Development claimed that the state has the Iowa Energy Plan which was published in 2016 [1,2] and they claim that the 2016 plan is sufficient and that there is no need for a plan to reduce climate change pollutants. 

The 2016 Iowa Energy Plan is a policy statement.  In reality, the 2016 plan could have been reviewed for updates, the policies stated in the plan could have been turned into action plans for implementation, and the funding provided by EPA could have been used to implement policies that would benefit all Iowans.  The state's refusal to participate means that significant parts of Iowa will not be able to benefit from the EPA grant program.

[1] Erin Jordan, “Iowa shuns $3M federal grant for climate plans”, Cedar Rapids Gazette, April 6, 2023

[2] Todd Dorman, “Iowa’s approach to climate change is daffy”, Cedar Rapids Gazette, April 16, 2023

Save the Date, April 25, webinar “Dirty Truth on Berkshire Hathaway Energy” 

Sierra Club’s report The Dirty Truth About Utility Climate Pledges: 2023 Annual Report shows that a dirty energy status quo prevails in America’s power sector.

The analysis examines 77 utilities across the country and their plans (if any) to retire coal plants and stop the construction of new fracked gas plants. The score card also measures how successful utilities have been in replacing high-polluting sources of energy with clean sources such as wind and solar. 

One of the companies under the microscope is Berkshire Hathaway, parent company of several utility companies including MidAmerican Energy.  MidAmerican Energy provides electricity in Iowa.  The coal plants it operates in Iowa are:

1. George Neal Station North, Sergeant Bluff, Iowa
2. George Neal Station South, Salix, Iowa
3. Louisa Generating Station, Muscatine, Iowa
4. Ottumwa Generating Station, Ottumwa, Iowa
5. Walter Scott Jr. Energy Center, Council Bluffs, Iowa

What utilities do, or don’t do, between now and 2030 will either seal our fate or deliver us from future climate catastrophe.  

If you want to learn more about Berkshire Hathaway and MidAmercan Energy and its sister companies, join us for a webinar “Dirty Truth on Berkshire Hathaway Energy” on April 25.  We’ll have more information in our next newsletter. 

Contact Emma Colman, Iowa Beyond Coal Organizing Representative, at emma.colman@sierraclub.org for more information.

Photo of George Neal North by Emma Colman

May 4, Berkshire Hathaway Rally

Berkshire Hathaway, which owns MidAmerican Energy, operates one of the largest fleets of coal plants in the nation. Last year, dozens of Iowans and Nebraskans rallied outside of their annual shareholder meeting calling on the company to make a plan to close their outdated, expensive, and dangerous coal plants. 

We have plans underway to rally at this year’s annual shareholder meeting on May 4 in Omaha, Nebraska.  We are part of a coalition called Clean Up MidAm that is organizing the day's event.  We plan to have buses that will transport people from Des Moines and Sioux City to Omaha.  Make an RSVP to attend.  We’ll have more information in our next newsletter.  Contact Emma Colman, Iowa Beyond Coal Organizing Representative, at emma.colman@sierraclub.org for more information.

Photo of Louisa Generating Station, by Emma Colman

New Impaired Waters List

On March 14, the Iowa Department of Natural Resources released its 2024 draft list of impaired waters, which is also known as the 303(d) list.  The impaired waters list shows lakes, wetlands, streams, rivers, and portions of rivers that do not meet the state water quality standards for the water body’s designated uses.  Each water body is given one or more designated uses - aquatic life protection, water contact recreation, drinking water source, and human health protection.  In other words, the list shows the water bodies that are polluted.

The 2024 draft list has 576 impaired water bodies with 743 impairments (pollutants).  To see the draft list, go to https://programs.iowadnr.gov/adbnet/Assessments/Summary/2024

Public comments can be submitted  through April 12, 2024.  The email address is IRcomment@dnr.iowa.gov or a letter can be sent to

Once the comment period has closed and the DNR has reviewed the comments, the draft list may be updated.  Then the list will be submitted to the Environmental Protection Agency for final approval.

Save the date - May 4, 2024, Outing to Whiterock Conservancy

The Chapter will be having an outing to Whiterock Conservancy in Guthrie County, outside of Coon Rapids, Iowa, on May 4, 2024.  We are planning three hikes.  One hike will be a shorter, easier hike along the Raccoon River.  A second hike will last a couple of hours and will be a little more strenuous, starting along the Raccoon River.  A third shorter hike will be on the trail that leads from the Visitor Center to the Garst homestead.  We will have hike leaders who can point out flowers and birds.  This will be in the prime of the song bird migration and the blooming wildflowers. 

See a Map of Whiterock Conservancy

Whiterock Conservancy, is a gift of nature to Iowa and its citizens from the Garst family. The 5,500-acre non-profit land trust sits in and along the valley of the Middle Raccoon River in a rugged and ecologically diverse landscape. Whiterock Conservancy is a great example of a “working landscape.” A working landscape is an approach to managing land and natural environments that balances social, economic and ecological needs. Business and social activities are done in a way that minimizes the disturbance of native plants and animals. A working landscape is an area where humans work as responsible members of a natural ecosystem. The outcome is mutual sustainability for people and for nature.

The mission of Whiterock Conservancy is threefold. It integrates 1) ecological restoration and conservation of biodiversity, 2) regenerative agriculture with sustainable farming practices, and 3) recreation and education featuring 40 miles of trails and 8 miles of river.

Field trip participants will learn more about what Whiterock does to achieve this mission and see first-hand the results of Whiterock’s first 20 years of land stewardship.

Schedule:

12:30 – Meet at the River Campground for outdoor program.

12:30 to 12:45 – Introduction to Whiterock Conservancy, Kate Zimmerman, Director of Whiterock Conservancy.

12:45 to 3:00 – Option of two short hikes - Hike #1 or Hike #2 - to see Whiterock Conservancy.

3:00 to 3:30 – Break.  Meet at the visitor center to use the restrooms, fill water bottles, and pick up information about Whiterock Conservancy and the Sierra Club.

3:30 to 5:00 – Hike #3 Low Difficulty hike to the Historic Garst Farmhouse.  Meet at the Visitor Center and hike to the Farmhouse or drive to the Farmhouse and meet those who are hiking.

In case of Adverse Weather – The occurrence of light rain or a drizzle will not change the outdoor hikes. If necessary, come prepared for such conditions. The threat of lightning or a thunderstorm will prompt a change in plans for the afternoon. The hikes will be delayed or cancelled and replaced with an indoor program at the Whiterock Conservancy visitor center located along Highway 141 one mile east of Coon Rapids.

Description of hikes:

Hike #1 - Low Difficulty – Kate Zimmerman will lead a group downriver from the campground. Forest, grassland, wetland and stream habitats will be observed. Participants will hike about 0.5 miles on a riverside trail to a turn around point. On the way back there will be two options. 

Option A – Continue back to the river campground on your own. This option has a total distance of 1.0 mile and no elevation gain.

Option B – Kate will lead participants on a side loop trail back to the campground that will take you out of the floodplain and on to the adjacent upland where you should see a greater variety of flora and fauna.  This option has a total distance of 1.25 miles and 60 feet of elevation gain.

Hike #2 - Medium Difficulty – Tom Rosburg, Professor of Biology at Drake University and consulting research ecologist at Whiterock Conservancy, will lead a group upriver from the campground.  Habitats observed will include a large wet seep (a special type of wetland), riparian, upland forest and reconstructed prairie. The total distance is about 1.5 miles with 170 feet of elevation gain. There will also be a short distance of off-trail hiking.

Hike #3 Low Difficulty.  Kate and Tom will lead a group to the Historic Garst Farmhouse, where participants will learn about its important history as the home of Roswell and Elizabeth Garst, the site of the 1959 visit by Soviet Premiere Nikita Khrushchev, and the cradle of hybrid seed corn. Total distance for the hike is 1.5 miles and there is no significant elevation gain.

On your own

For those who want to spend more time at Whiterock, there are many activities you can do on your own - biking, hiking, camping, staying in one of the farm houses on the property, exploring the history of the Garst family, and more. 

Save the date - May 4, 2024 - and plan to join us on one of the hikes.  We will have more details in future newsletters.

Lunch and Learns Fridays at noon

Every Friday at noon, we do a Lunch and Learn livestream.  See us on Facebook at "Sierra Club Iowa Chapter".  These will be recorded so you can watch them anytime.  Topics will be selected based on what is happening during the week and will be announced the day before the livestream.  During the legislative session, we cover issues coming before the Iowa legislature.

In case you missed our past webinars and lunch and learn sessions, you can still see them.

• Watch "The 2024 Legislature - After the 2nd Funnel", March 15, 2024
• Watch "Summit expansion - 14 new dockets at Utilities Board", March 8, 2024
• See "The 2024 legislature – heading to the 2nd funnel", March 1, 2024

Photo Credit, Richard Worm, Faraway Farm 

Volunteer for the Iowa Chapter

Almost everything we do is done by volunteers like you.  If you would like to volunteer for the Iowa Chapter, please let us know by sending an E-mail to Iowa.chapter@sierraclub.org.  Or sign up by using the online form.  There are many opportunities for you to make a difference:

• making phone calls

• developing graphics for banners and flyers

• working on legislative issues

• working on elections

• fundraising

• organizing events

• joining an issue committee 

If you would like to join our legislative action team, sign up here.  Keep on top of what is happening at the Iowa legislature.  Be alerted when you should contact your legislators about pending legislation.

Sierra Club - working every day on Iowa’s environmental problems

Sierra Club is Iowa’s oldest and largest grassroots environmental organization.  Not only that, we are the best bet in the state for achieving bold solutions to Iowa’s environmental problems.

We work in the courts, before Iowa’s public agencies, and in the halls of the legislature.  The Iowa Chapter's effort to protect the environment takes financial support.  The Chapter receives very little financial support from the national Sierra Club.  Can we count on you for a donation to ensure even more victories?  Your contribution will be put to work here in Iowa on issues that affect every day Iowans – water quality, clean air, protection of Iowa's soil, parks and natural areas, and a strong democracy.  The Iowa Chapter is relentless in fighting back bad legislation that affects every one of us. 

Your non-deductible contributions make it possible for us to fight bad legislation and to promote good legislation.  We appreciate your past and on-going support of these efforts.  You can make a non-deductible donation with a credit card.   A non-deductible donation supports the Chapter's effective, citizen-based advocacy and lobbying programs.  If you prefer, a non-deductible check can be written to the Sierra Club Iowa Chapter and mailed to:

Treasurer
Sierra Club, Iowa Chapter
PO Box 1058
Marion, IA 52302

You can also make a tax-deductible donation with a credit card.  Tax-deductible activities are limited to public interest education, research and legal actions.  A deductible check can be written to the Sierra Club Foundation with “Iowa Chapter” written in the memo line.

Thank you for your support.

Donate your used vehicle

As the Sierra Club Foundation's Iowa Chapter continues to raise charitable funds to support its work in Iowa, won’t you consider participating in our vehicle donation program?  Our partners over at CARS have made the process of donating your unused or unneeded car, truck, motorcycle, boat or RV easy, efficient and secure.  They’ll take care of everything from picking up your vehicle to sending you a tax receipt for your generous gift.  To learn more about The Sierra Club Foundation's Iowa Chapter vehicle donation program, please call 844-674-3772.  Or visit our webpage to get started today!

Sierra Club Foundation promotes climate solutions, conservation, and movement building through a powerful combination of strategic philanthropy and grassroots advocacy. The Foundation is the fiscal sponsor of Sierra Club’s charitable environmental programs.

For more information 

Planned giving . . . naming the Sierra Club Iowa Chapter in your will 

Ensure your environmental legacy by naming the Iowa Chapter in your will or trust. These gifts cost you nothing now. You can hold onto your assets for as long as you need them.

Thank you for supporting our work!