Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations and Waste Disposal

Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations and Waste Disposal

Brief History on Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations (CAFOS)

A Concentrated Animal Feeding Operation (CAFO) is a term that was first coined by the United States' Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to describe animal agricultural facilities that have a potential pollution profile. Specifically, the EPA defines a CAFO as an animal feeding operation (AFO) that (a) confines animals for more than 45 days during a growing season, (b) in an area that does not produce vegetation, and (c) meets certain size thresholds (Van, 2000). The EPA's definition of the term "captures key elements of the transformations" observed in the animal agriculture sector over the course of the 20th century: "a production process that concentrates large numbers of animals in relatively small and confined places, and that substitutes structures and equipment (for feeding, temperature controls, and manure management) for land and labor.

The categorization of CAFOs has an impact on whether a facility is subject to regulation under the Clean Water Act (CWA). According to the 2008 rule adopted by the EPA, "large CAFOs are automatically subject to EPA regulation; medium CAFOs must also meet one of two 'method of discharge' criteria to be defined as a CAFO (or may be designated as such); and small CAFOs can only be made subject to EPA regulations on a case-by-case basis."(U.S. General Accounting Office, 2003) A small CAFO will also be designated a CAFO for purposes of the CWA if it discharges pollutants into waterways of the United States through a man-made conveyance such as a road, ditch or pipe. Alternatively, a small CAFO may be designated an ordinary animal feeding operation (AFO) once its animal waste management system is certified at the site. Since it first coined the term, the EPA has changed the definition (and applicable regulations) for CAFOs on several occasions. Private groups and individuals use the term CAFO colloquially to mean many types of both regulated and unregulated facilities, both inside and outside the United States. The definition used in everyday speech may thus vary considerably from the statutory definition in the CWA. CAFOs are commonly characterized as having large numbers of animals crowded into a confined space, a situation those results in the concentration of manure in a small area.

How CAFOS are a Danger to the Environment Especially through the Disposal and Usage Methods of Manure

Environmental impact

The EPA has focused on regulating CAFOs because they generate millions of tons of manure every year. When improperly managed, the manure can pose substantial risks to the environment and public health. In order to manage their waste, CAFOs have developed Agricultural wastewater treatment plans. One of the most common of these plans is the anaerobic lagoon, which has significantly contributed to environmental and health problems attributed to the CAFO (U.S. Department or Agriculture, 2004).

Water quality

The large amounts of animal waste from CAFOs present a risk to water quality and aquatic ecosystems. According to the EPA, states with high concentrations of CAFOs experience on ...