CLF Expert Briefs Congressional Staff on Water Hazards Posed by CAFOs Washington, DC—Over 45 Congressional staff members and concerned citizens crowded into a small conference room on Capitol Hill last week to hear from a panel of experts about the effects of large animal feeding operations on clean water. The special Congressional briefing, the first in a series sponsored by the Clean Water Network, gave attendees a vivid picture of the regulatory and environmental difficulties imposed by Confined Animal Feeding Operations (CAFOs). In his presentation, “From Farm to Tap,” CLF’s Keeve Nachman, PhD, MHS, science director for food production, health and environment, pointed out that clean, safe water is one of the major public health achievements responsible for the dramatic rise in the U.S. average life expectancy over the last century. “We must pay close attention to our drinking water and should be very concerned what we are putting into these animals,” warned Dr. Nachman. “Humans are dependent on safe water for health, and today nearly 20 percent of the impaired rivers and streams in this county are attributable to animal operations. “We’re producing over nine billion animals per year; we should be very concerned with what we are feeding them, and how these things are getting into the environment, and ultimately to people,” said Dr. Nachman, noting the large amount of antibiotics used in raising animals housed in the large feeding facilities. Dr. Nachman pointed out scientists are particularly concerned about antibiotic-resistant bacteria generated by the non-therapeutic use of antibiotics also used in medical treatment of humans. “These are typically used for growth promotion or preventive purposes, but not for treating clinically observable disease.” Using antibiotics in farm animal feed selects for resistant bacteria, creating increased risks of drug resistant bacterial infections in humans exposed to animal food products and waste. “In the case of resistant bacteria, this means that antibiotics typically used to treat infections don’t work.” According to Dr. Nachman, humans in the U.S. generate an estimated seven million tons of dry waste each year, compared to the 287 million tons domestically produced by animals. As compared to human waste, animal waste generated by large CAFOs is largely untreated; most of this waste is applied to farm land as fertilizer, often beyond the land’s capacity for nutrient utilization. Runoff and leaching of components in animal waste may result in the impairment of surface waters and the introduction of chemical and microbial contamination into groundwater used for drinking and bathing. Martha Noble, senior policy associate and attorney, Sustainable Agriculture Coalition, and Eric Schaeffer, executive director, Environmental Integrity Project, joined Dr. Nachman on the panel. Schaeffer, formerly with the Environmental Protection Agency’s Office of Civil Enforcement, discussed the regulatory difficulties that CAFOs present. “The EPA is really way behind in catching up with livestock production of the last 25 years,” he told the packed room. “These are large operations that discharge vast amounts of pollution into our rivers and streams,” many without permits. “Large operations don’t want to get discharge permits," Schaeffer said. "Without a permit, it’s a little like the wild, wild west and you don’t have the ability to stand up and ask the questions you need to ask about the facility and its impact on groundwater.” |
