It is a fine organic fertilizer that has made Jackson County one of the state's top cattle producers. It is incredibly beneficial to the soil. When it enters the state's waterways, however, it causes so much plant growth that when the plants die they use up all of the oxygen in the decaying process, causing fish to suffocate. Agriculture is changing. For farmers to survive, they must have larger operations.
Larger farms generate more wastes, creating greater potential for large-scale pollution.
The state and federal environmental agencies would be remiss if they did not keep an eye out for the potential of agricultural pollution. Government and industry face similar scrutiny. The Environmental Protection Agency is forcing states to better enforce the Clean Water Act. As a result, the Environmental Protection Division has increased standards for the water quality of streams and rivers, which makes all waste treatment much more expensive. Farmers feel like scapegoats for the state's water quality programs.