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Dairy and Pig factory Farms Blamed for Water PollutionWednesday, January 25, 2006farmedanimal.net Concentrated US Dairy and Pig Farms Blamed as Source of Water Pollution DAIRY FARMS: One of the largest US dairy companies with operations in five states is facing opposition from environmentalists and regulators in Michigan. A recent state-funded study notes that one farm houses up to 5,000 cows and produces as much as 4.3 million gallons of liquid waste every year. The study failed to link water pollution to the company's dairy farms, but officials are publicly examining the impact of concentrated animal feeding operations (CAFOs) on the environment. Michigan has 197 CAFOs according to government records, and the state's Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) has cited several of them for pollution violations. PIG FARMS: The world's largest pig slaughterer, Smithfield Foods, settled two lawsuits with the nonprofit Waterkeeper Alliance and other groups regarding environmental protections. Under the settlement, Smithfield agreed to implement tighter environmental controls at all of its 275 North Carolina facilities operating under the name Murphy-Brown. The stricter controls are focused on spraying of lagoon manure during poor weather conditions, which increases the risk of environmental pollution. However, the settlement also requires Smithfield to monitor water and waste runoff, and to hire independent consultants for long-term reporting on its environmental programs. Separately, the US Department of Agriculture awarded a half-million dollar grant to the Global Resource Recovery Organization to develop an industrial dryer for pig waste remediation. The waste water is vented into the air, but the remains are said to be relatively odorless and easier to store without needing lagoons. |