(06/27/14) DES MOINES, Iowa – In an agricultural state such as Iowa, topsoil is one of the most valued natural resources. But concerns are being raised about possible changes to the state’s rules about replacing topsoil at construction sites.
As it stands now, if one acre or more of land is disturbed during construction of a home or business and there’s at least four inches of topsoil present, it must be restored unless that isn’t feasible. Some developers want that requirement eased because of cost, so options are now being considered, according to Adam Schnieders with the Iowa Department of Natural Resources (DNR).
“Those concerns were raised to the department and the governor’s office,” Schnieders says. “So, a stakeholder group was put together to examine what alternatives could be explored to change the four-inch topsoil requirement so it was less costly to implement, but still meets the federal intent.”
Schnieders is the program supervisor for the DNR’s National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System.
Those opposed to changing the rule, including the group 1000 Friends of Iowa, say maintaining four inches of topsoil helps establish healthy landscapes, and lessens erosion and runoff.