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Title: Concentrated Animal
Feed Operations and the Affect on Water Quality Author:
Mary Lugg Abstract: Consolidation of the livestock industry has
increased the amount of animals in concentrated animal feed operations across
the United States. A concentrated animal feeding operation (CAFO) is defined
as an agricultural operation that confines more than 1,000 animals and must
meet certain pollutant discharge criteria enforced by the Environmental
Protection Agency (EPA). CAFO’s produce 16. 7
billion pounds of manure every year, according to the United States
Department of Agriculture (USDA) (Kellogg, Lander, Moffitt, Gollehon, 1997). In 1972 the Clean Water Act defined
these operations specifically because they produce nitrate rich fecal matter
that seeps into the groundwater, creating algal blooms in lakes and streams
making it impossible for other fish and plant life to survive. Likewise, drinking water may be
impacted by CAFO pollution. This type of agricultural production is under
strict regulations to store the waste in lagoons where safe chemical levels
are monitored and enforced by the EPA. However, lagoons are prone to leaks,
which raises concerns about government policies. For example, a lagoon in North Caroline spilled 22 million
gallons of animal waste into a nearby river devastating the ecosystem. An
alternative praised by many farmers is using the waste as a cheap fertilizer
although this practice may also lead to ground water pollution in the area
after a heavy rainfall event.
New research has shown that using animal waste as biogas may prevent
groundwater pollution better than government enforced lagoons Key
References: Kellogg, R. L., Lander, C.H., Moffit,
D.C., Gollehon, N. (1997). Manure Nutrients
Relative to the Capacity of Cropland and Pastureland to Assimilate Nutrients:
Spatial and Temporal Trends for the United States. United States Department
of Agriculture, Publication no. nps00-579, 1-91 Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, Career Guide to Industries, 2008-09 Edition, Agriculture, Forestry, and Fishing, on the Internet at http://www.bls.gov/oco/cg/cgs001.htm (visited April 16, 2008). Agri-check, Inc. under contract with the Oregon State Department of Agriculture, Division of Soil and Water Conservation. “Water Quality Planning Project Confined Animal Feeding Operations Waste Management Program”. October 1982, pg 4. Copeland, Claudia. “CRS report for Congress, Animal Waste
and Water Quality EPA regulation of CAFO’s.”
November 27, 2007 (accessed 2008, April
2). http://www.cnie.org/NLE/CRSreports/07Dec/RL31851.pdf Contact:
mlugg@willamette.edu Return to Water
Resources Projects page. |
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Date: May
2008
Student: mlugg@willamette.edu
ENVR 327: Water Resources
Instructor: Dr. Karen Arabas
http://www.willamette.edu/~karabas/courses/envr327w