A new report on the rapid expansion of hog farms in Iowa calls for a moratorium on new barns and concludes that the state’s regulatory system is failing to protect the environment and public health for the sake of profit of the politically powerful livestock industry.

“A tipping point has been reached. Rural Iowans have every reason to be concerned,” said the report released by retired University of Iowa professors James Merchant and David Osterberg.

• Read more from the Associated Press on Ag Web
• Read the report: The Explosion of CAFOs in Iowa and Its Impact on Water Quality and Public Health