Iowa CCI members urge Governor Culver to appoint replacement who will protect environment

Wednesday, September 10, 2008, Des Moines, Iowa – Ralph Klemme, an
Environmental Protection Commissioner who consistently voted against
protecting the environment and in favor of the factory farm industry,
resigned last week from the Environmental Protection Commission, a
nine-citizen DNR oversight panel appointed by the Governor. Klemme's
resignation followed landmark votes by the Commission in August to deny
two 7,440-head hog factories in Dallas County, which he voted to
approve. Klemme was recently quoted as saying he “didn't like the
direction the commission was going.”

Iowa Citizens for Community Improvement members see this resignation as
a victory and an opportunity for Governor Culver to appoint a new
Commissioner to replace Klemme who will stand up for protecting Iowa's
environment. “Because of his poor voting record, I am pleased to hear
of Ralph Klemme's resignation. Now we need to make sure Governor Culver
will appoint someone who will stand up for clean air and clean water,”
said CCI member Kevin Shilling from Greenfield.

A former state legislator from LeMars, Klemme voted in May to approve a
large hog factory in Greene County that was overwhelmingly opposed by
local residents, county officials and local business leaders. He also
voted against a common-sense rule that would have limited the amount of
manure that factory farm owners could be spread on soybean crops.