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Mitigating Negative Effects of Animal Waste Management in Factory Farming: Regulating Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations (CAFOs) to Prevent Groundwater Contamination. Jean Hon. Factory Farming - Background . Issues Science Politics Social.
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Mitigating Negative Effects of Animal Waste Management in Factory Farming:Regulating Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations (CAFOs) to Prevent Groundwater Contamination Jean Hon
Issues • Science • Politics • Social
A concentrated animal feeding operation with waste lagoons Image: John Klein/Lighthawk
Why California? • Largest concentration of livestock in the nation • 1.4 million cows producing more than 30 million tons of manure annually • 43% of Californians rely on groundwater as a water source
Central Valley Region Image source: factoryfarmmap.org
Case Study • 33% of groundwater wells in Tulare County tested positive for pathogens • Nitrate pollution levels are above the legal limit • Average cost of water consumption is 4.6% of household income
What is the cost of poor management? • Determine Use Value of Groundwater • Estimate Value of Caused Illness • Internalize the Negative Externalities
Steps in Study • Define good – Groundwater • Geographical scope – 5 counties in responsible ranching, 5 counties in poor ranching • Crowd Source– Improve public awareness and increase app usage • App Usage – Gather data through app usage on citizen health problems • Data Analysis– Compare and analyze the comparative data
Insufficient monitoring Risks can be mitigated Nitrate pollution is preventable Source: EPA, Metrics for Nitrate Contamination of Ground Water at CAFO Land Application Sites, June 2009.