CCI and Food and Water Watch issued a joint statement on the Iowa Supreme Court 4-3 decision against their clean water lawsuit.

“Iowans have the right to clean water. According to the Public Trust Doctrine, which has been Iowa law since Iowa became a state, it is the State’s duty to protect that right. The legislature failed to protect Iowans’ right to clean water as provided by the Iowa Constitution.

The Iowa Supreme Court has decided that a favorable decision in our case would not remedy the harm from pollution in the Raccoon River and that the lawsuit raised political questions that the legislature, not the courts, should resolve. Until further action is taken, industrial agricultural runoff will continue to pollute the river unimpeded, and Iowans’ right to clean water will remain a right without a remedy. We speak for many people across the state of Iowa when we say that we are deeply disappointed.”

You can read our full press release here.

We’re already considering the next legal steps we can take. Stay tuned: we’ll be in touch with more in-depth, exclusive details about what this ruling means for our case and for our work going forward.

What we know for sure: The fight for clean water in Iowa is far from over.