Download What`s the Problem? | Animal Waste | Region 9 | US EPA

What's the Problem? | Animal Waste | Region 9 | US EPA
2015-06-13, 11:08
What's the Problem?
On this page:
Overview
Drinking Water Impacts
River and Stream Impacts
Air Impacts
Cross-Media Recognition
Overview
What Are AFOs?
Animal feeding operations (AFOs) are farms or feedlots where animals are kept
and raised in confined areas for at least 45 days over a 12-month period. AFOs cluster
animals, feed, manure and urine, wastewater, dead animals, and production operations
on a small land area. Feed is brought to the animals rather than the animals grazing in
pastures, fields, or on rangeland. There are approximately 450,000 AFOs in the United
States. Common types of AFOs include dairies, cattle feedlots, and poultry farms.
Benefits and Costs of AFOs
A strong livestock industry is essential to our nation's economic stability, the viability of
many rural communities, and a healthy and high-quality food supply. However, the
growing scale and concentration of AFOs has contributed to negative environmental and
human health impacts. Pollution associated with AFOs degrades the quality of waters,
threatens drinking water sources, and may harm air quality.
Animal Waste and Waste Management
By definition, AFOs produce large amounts of waste in small areas. For example, a single
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dairy cow produces approximately 120 pounds of wet manure per day. The waste
produced per day by one dairy cow is equal to that of 20-40 people. If properly stored
and used, manure from animal feeding operations can be a valuable resource. Applying
manure to land can be an environmentally sound approach to fertilizing fields. Manure
can also be used in digesters (machines which decompose manure and capture the
methane gas emitted) to produce electricity, and other useful by-products such as
ethanol. However, if not managed correctly, the waste produced by AFOs can pollute the
environment – especially water.
Consequences of Waste Mismanagement
Improperly stored or used, animal waste can pollute rivers and underground drinking
water supplies. Inadequately sized and poorly-lined ponds or other storage structures
allow manure to escape into the surrounding environment. Poorly maintained and
unlined corrals let contaminated wastewater containing to seep into ground water.
Many AFOs also lack necessary stormwater runoff controls, such as berms, that divert
rain water and snow melt from the animal confinement area. Stored manure gets
washed into nearby streams. Applying too much AFO wastewater to fields too quickly or
by inadequate methods, can also cause the contaminants in animal waste to pollute
streams or ground water before they can be completely absorbed by the land and crops.
In some cases, an AFO's location -- for example, on hillsides, along streams, and atop
sensitive ground water areas -- complicates sound animal waste management. Animal
waste has the potential to contribute pollutants such as nutrients (e.g., nitrate,
phosphorous), organic matter, sediments, pathogens (e.g., giardia, cryptosporidium),
heavy metals, hormones, antibiotics and ammonia to the waters we use for drinking,
swimming and fishing. In addition to water quality problems, AFOs can also contribute
to significant air quality problems, including dust, smog, greenhouse gases, and odors.
Drinking Water Impacts
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When contaminants from animal waste seep into underground sources of drinking water
, the amount of nitrate in the ground water supply can reach unhealthy levels. Infants up
to three months of age are particularly susceptible to high nitrate levels and may develop
Blue Baby Syndrome (methemoglobinemia), an often fatal blood disorder.
The microorganisms found in animal wastes, such as cryptosporidium, can also pose
significant public health threats. For example, after a severe rainstorm in 1993, an
outbreak of cryptosporidium in Milwaukee's drinking water supply caused 100 deaths
and sickened 430,000 people. If the presence of these microorganisms exceeds the
standards set by the Safe Drinking Water Act, community and private well owners will
not only face health risks, but will also have to find new sources for their drinking water
supplies. This can be extremely costly and impractical.
River and Stream Impacts
Manure, and wastewater containing manure, can severely harm river and stream
ecosystems. Manure contains ammonia which is highly toxic to fish at low levels.
Increased amounts of nutrients, such as nitrogen and phosphorus, from AFOs can cause
algal blooms which block waterways and deplete oxygen as they decompose. This can kill
fish and other aquatic organisms, devastating the entire aquatic food chain.
Air Impacts
In general, air quality problems associated with AFOs are caused by gases emitted from
the decomposition of animal wastes and by the dust generated by animal activity and
farming practices. These air pollutants can cause respiratory illness, lung inflammation,
and increase vulnerability to respiratory diseases, such as asthma. Emissions of reactive
organics and ammonia from AFOs can play a role in the formation of ozone (smog) and
particulates, air pollutants regulated by Clean Air Act to protect public health. Soil
disturbance by animals or farm equipment can generate particulate matter. Emissions
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What's the Problem? | Animal Waste | Region 9 | US EPA
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from AFOs are a major concern in areas, such as the San Joaquin Valley and California's
South Coast, where ozone and particulate matter often exceed national health standards.
In addition to negative health impacts, ozone can reduce agricultural yields and make
plants more vulnerable to disease. Odorous and potentially toxic gases, such as sulfur
dioxide, produced by the decomposition of animal wastes, may also cause nausea,
headaches, and throat and eye irritation after prolonged exposure. Methane emissions
from waste decomposition at AFOs also contribute to global warming. EPA's AgStar
program encourages the use methane recovery technologies at animal feeding operation.
Recent studies of air emissions from AFOs are listed in the bibliography.
Cross-Media Recognition
As mentioned above, animal feeding operations can affect multiple pollutant media
streams. In addition, methane emissions from an AFO can provide a potential energy
source and nutrients in the manure and wastewater are a valuable fertilizer. Recognizing
the need to look at animal feeding operation waste management in a comprehensive or
systems approach, EPA helped form the Dairy Manure Collaborative, which has begun
working with stakeholders to develop voluntary, multimedia approaches towards
managing waste streams at animal feeding operation. For example, the San Joaquin
Valley Dairy Manure Technology Feasibility Assessment Panel recently produced a
report assessing technologies for management and treatment of dairy manure.
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