The Harkin Institute for Public Policy & Citizen Engagement

Water from the tap in Reeves Horsley's kitchen tested at more than twice that nitrate level at six point nine milligrams per liter.

A landmark 2026 report by the Iowa Environmental Council and Harkin Institute explicitly identified agriculture as a contributor to Iowa's high and rising cancer rates, pointing to its role as the dominant source of nitrate pollution in Iowa watersheds and to a cocktail of pesticides and forever chemicals.

In 2015, Des Moines Water s- Works tried to send its bill upstream, suing drainage districts in three northern counties near Palo Alto and accusing them of not doing enough to prevent the funneling of nitrate in t- into the city.

It lost, first at the Iowa Supreme Court and again in federal court, where a judge in 2017 punted the issue back to where it had long been stalled, the state legislature.

Um, and, you know, multiple sort of follow-up reports, including one that came out yesterday, um, you know, highlight the fact that, yes, some of these cancers can be explained by lifestyle, uh, choices, but not all of them.

Um, and after that report came out, the IEC, Iowa Environmental Council, and the Harkin Institute, um, started doing, uh, cancer listening sessions around the state.

Um, you know, going outside of, you know, our major metropolitan areas to lots of different counties.

Um, and people really came out of the woodwork to tell their cancer stories.

According to the Iowa Cancer Registry, the Hawkeye State has the second highest rate of new cancer diagnoses in the country, and it's one of only two states where that rate is still rising.

The big question is, why? In March, the Iowa Environmental Council and the Harkin Institute for Public Policy and Citizen Engagement released a report that links those concerning cancer rates to the environment.

Joining me is Carrie Johansen, Senior Director of Policy and Programs at the Iowa Environmental Council.

Thank you so much for joining me today.