The results are disastrous. December 1998 study from Natural Resources Defense Council. Includes profiles of the status of key factory farming states. With many graphs, charts, and statistics. The concentration of animal waste from larger and larger operations has led to more complaints about odor, greater challenges for animal waste management, and a growing public opinion that more environmental protections are needed.
Clickable maps link to summaries of animal waste production by state.
More than 2 trillion pounds of animal waste are produced per year nationally. An increasing amount of this animal waste is produced by Intensive Livestock Operations, which are really more factories than farms. Common animal waste treatment practices used by these livestock factories are often inadequate to protect our drinking water and environment, posing one of America's serious pollution problems. These operations have multiplied in recent years, spreading into many states that lack adequate environmental controls. The estimated one billion tons of feces and urine produced each year by livestock, and the way in which it is treated, pose one of America's serious pollution threats.