Iowa faces a reckoning over water quality and cancer rates in midterm campaigns
State-funded research says most of Iowa’s above-normal cancer rates are explained by behavior and demographics, while candidates push new water-quality funding.
- Ahead of their scheduled debate tomorrow in Sioux City, Democratic gubernatorial candidate Rob Sand and Republican candidate Zach Lahn have prioritized Iowa's rising cancer rates and water quality in their campaigns.
- Iowa currently holds the nation's second-highest rate of newly diagnosed cancers, prompting researchers to investigate environmental factors including nitrate levels that Federal regulations limit to 10 milligrams per liter.
- Republican Gov. Kim Reynolds and lawmakers committed $320 million in May for water infrastructure and conservation projects, though critics argue voluntary farming practices remain insufficient to address runoff pollution.
- Endorsed by MAHA Action, Lahn has diverged from Republican peers by directly linking agrochemicals to the state's cancer crisis, though he calls them "tools in the tool chest."
- Sand advocates for regional cancer treatment agreements and proposes Iowa adopt Nebraska's $4.5 million annual pediatric research investment to improve treatment access for families.
30 Articles
30 Articles
A stream crosses an area of cultivation in Marshalltown, Iowa. Brittany Peterson/AP The state of Iowa, one of the powers of the United States agribusiness, faces a budget deficit, high costs and economic difficulties caused by trade disputes that have pushed farmers. But two problems that have dragged on for decades — water quality and cancer rates — have gained prominence in campaigns for mid-term elections, known as midterms.
Rising cancer rates in the spotlight across Iowa midterm races as voters focus on water
Roughly two in five Iowans will be diagnosed with cancer in their lifetimes. It's a big concern for many voters, and now, it's at the center of debates ahead of the midterms. NBC News' Julie Tsirkin reports.
Hinson and Turek tackle Iowa's nitrate levels and hospital closures ahead of midterms
DES MOINES, Iowa -- For the first time in over a decade, Iowa has an open U.S. Senate seat. Candidates are fighting for the seat currently occupied by Republican U.S. Senator Joni Ernst. WHO 13 hosted Ashley Hinson, a Republican, and Josh Turek, a Democrat, in studio Tuesday night to debate the hot topics on [...]
Iowa's water quality and cancer rates forced into forefront of state politics
Chemical fertilizers and animal waste contain nitrates and phosphorus that can get washed with rain or snowmelt into the state’s rivers. That affects Iowa’s more liberal urban centers which rely on rivers and lakes for drinking water.
Iowa group tackles water quality and health concerns ahead of elections
TNL Editor-in-Chief Carey Gillam presented research on pesticide regulation and farm chemical impacts to the Iowa group Jefferson County Farmers & Neighbors in a recent webinar titled Cancer, CAFOS and Corporations -How Regulatory Corruption Affects All of Us. Read our Cancer in the Corn Belt series.
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