DNR Air Quality Bureau Named AAI’S Regulator of the Year

Des Moines -- The Agribusiness Association of Iowa (AAI) named Bureau Chief Catharine Fitzsimmons and the Iowa DNR Air Quality Bureau as Regulator of the Year during the organization’s annual meeting held January 16 in Des Moines. During the award presentation, Mark Rosenbury, Senior Vice Chairman of AAI told of Catharine Fitzsimmons’ role in establishing air-permitting regulations for country grain elevators. “Although a long and complicated process, Catharine brought balance and common sense to the process during negotiations and in coming to an amenable consensus that benefits Iowa’s air quality and is achievable to the industry,” said Rosenbury.

Rosenbury also praised the Air Quality Bureau staff. “I want to recognize the countless hours and energy the air quality bureau staff has put into bringing country grain elevators into compliance.”

“Thank you all for working with us,” said Fitzsimmons, particularly noting the aid of several individuals, the AAI board, grain committee and AAI Executive Director Mona Bond. “This has been a daunting task,” she said.

“Our objective has been to establish compliance and preserve the environment and I think we have achieved that,” summarized Fitzsimmons. “We have challenges coming in the future. There are air pollution issues in parts of Iowa: ozone and fine particles. We’ll work together on these concerns and I appreciate your willingness to do this.”

This award, established in 2005, is presented each year by the AAI to a regulator that works with members and the industry as a whole with compliance issues. AAI represents over 900 ag retail locations across the state.

For more information contact Mona Bond of the Agribusiness Association of Iowa at (515) 964-2790 or (515) 202-9222.