October 10, 2000
7. NEW RESOURCE: Spills and Kills Released
On September 20, the Clean Water Network along with NRDC and the Izaak Walton League, released "Spills and Kills". The report looked at manure spills and intentional manure dumping at factory farms in 10 states that killed 13 million fish in the late 1990s. More than 1,000 manure spills and 200 fish kills from 1995 through 1998 are analyzed in the report. Spills and Kills data came from Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Minnesota, Missouri, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Washington and Wisconsin.
This report, the most complete analysis of feedlot water pollution problems to date, documents improper land application of manure, spills and leaks from immense manure lagoons, equipment failures, and intentional manure dumping. Currently there is no national tracking system for manure spills or fish kills. According to report author Merritt Frey, "We need a national tracking system to notify the public about pollution threats and to hold polluters accountable." The Environmental Protection Agency is developing new federal standards for controlling pollution from factory farms (also called feedlots) under a consent decree with NRDC, which wants tighter regulations.
For a copy of the report, go to the Clean Water Network's web site at www.cwn.org and click on Reports or call CWN at 202-289-2390 and order a $5 copy.