Beef: Environment - Water Concerns
When it comes to water concerns and the beef industry, there are two primary areas to discuss: 1) contamination of waterways, 2) use of fresh water.
Contamination of Waterways
According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Contained Animal Feeding Operations (also known as CAFOs, feedlots, or factory farms) are contaminating our surface and ground water with improper waste management. The Government Accountability Office (GAO) reports that large CAFOs can produce more than 1.6 million tons of waste annually—“more raw waste than the populations of some U.S. cities produce annually.”1 The majority of this waste is either stored in open air lagoons or sprayed onto land.2 In 2000, the EPA found that 24,616 miles of rivers and streams were negatively impacted by the mismanagement of animal waste CAFOs.3 Seventy-five percent of all water-quality problems in rivers and streams are attributed to the agricultural sector, of which the beef industry plays a significant role.4
The Congressional Research Service reports, “The primary pollutants associated with animal wastes are nutrients (particularly nitrogen and phosphorus), organic matter, solids, pathogens, and odorous/volatile compounds. Animal waste also contains . . . antibiotics, pesticides, and hormones.”5 The pollutants in our waterways from animal waste are killing fish, leaching into soil, and polluting our drinking water.6 Furthermore, the effects of the pollutants on human health on populations located near CAFOs have been demonstrated in multiple studies and documented in numerous media reports–effects ranging from infections of the respiratory system and eyes, problems with the nervous system, gastrointestinal disorders, hormonal fluctuations and reproductive challenges, and more. These effects have ranged from mild symptoms to fatalities.7
Learn more about how CAFO waste management is technically regulated by the Clean Water Act.
Learn more about how CAFO waste is stored and used.
Footnotes
1. Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations: EPA Needs More Information and a Clearly Defined Strategy to Protect Air and Water Quality from Pollutants of Concern. Government Accountability Office. GAO-08-944. 4 Sept 2008.
2. J.R. Pegg. “Draft EPA Deal Gives Factory Farms a Pass on Air Pollution.” Environment News Service. 29 Sept 2003.
3. National Water Quality Inventory, 2000 Report. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. EPA-841-R-02-001 Aug 2002.13-14.
4. Mark Bittman. “Rethinking the Meat Guzzler.” New York Times. 27 Jan 2008.