Iowa House Republicans are moving forward with a bill aimed at banning geoengineering, the artificial manipulation of the weather.
The proposal, which passed a House committee on Thursday, seeks to prevent weather modification efforts such as cloud seeding, a process used in some states to encourage rainfall.
Rep. Sam Wengryn (R-Pleasanton) said lawmakers have received numerous emails from constituents concerned about substances being sprayed in the air.
“This bill is a first step in examining the issue,” Wengryn said. “We hope to bring in state universities to study air quality and determine if anything is being introduced into the atmosphere.”
However, Rep. Ken Croken (D-Davenport) argued that weather modification might be necessary in the future, especially if drought conditions worsen.
“There may come a time soon when Iowa’s agriculture industry needs cloud seeding to produce rain,” Croken said.
Several other states have already considered or enacted bans on weather modification, and Iowa could be next if the bill moves forward for debate on the House floor.
