Factory Farms

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As of 2018 the EPA counted 20,300 factory farms active across the so-called United States. The department of agriculture estimated that there were actually more than 450,000 farms, but many of them are too small to be counted under the EPA's tally.[1] From 2012 to 2018 there was a consistent increase of 96 million animals per year across factory farms.[2]

Water Pollution

Livestock and poultry create about 2.4 billion tons of manure a year.[3] Manure leads to nitrogen and phosphorus in water, which makes it harmful for people, potentially causing irritated skin and gastrointestinal and respiratory problems.[4]

Runoff

Excess manure is often times not able to be contained within the farms, which leads to runoff polluting water sources. Three quarters of factory farms discharge pollution.[5] Contamination of water from farms is not regulated under the 1972 Clean Water Act despite the large amount of contamination present in and around large factory farms. In 2022 the EPA was sued by dozens of advocacy groups over the lack of water protections.[6]

A report published by the 'Environmental Integrity Project'[7] in 2022 listed Indiana as the state with the most polluted water sources with 24,395 miles of rivers and streams listed as impaired for swimming in recreation. The second most polluted state was Oregon, with 17,619 miles of rivers and streams also classified unsafe for swimming/recreation. The third most polluted state was South Carolina, with 16,766 miles of polluted water. The pollution of these water sources is in part due to agricultural runoff.[8]

Regulatory Loopholes

Sources

  1. ↑ https://www.pbs.org/newshour/economy/factory-farms-provide-abundant-food-but-environment-suffers
  2. ↑ https://www.ars.usda.gov/research/publications/publication/?seqNo115=364421
  3. ↑ https://www.ars.usda.gov/research/publications/publication/?seqNo115=364421
  4. ↑ https://www.cdc.gov/healthywater/emergency/sanitation-wastewater/animal-feeding-operations.html
  5. ↑ https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2008/11/20/E8-26620/revised-national-pollutant-discharge-elimination-system-permit-regulation-and-effluent-limitations
  6. ↑ https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2022/oct/19/epa-lawsuit-water-pollution-factory-farms
  7. ↑ https://environmentalintegrity.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/CWA@50-report-EMBARGOED-3.17.22.pdf
  8. ↑ https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2022/oct/19/epa-lawsuit-water-pollution-factory-farms
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