Factory farms are responsible for more than 70 percent of the ammonia emissions in the U.S. Yet while pollution from power plants, factories and vehicles is regulated under federal laws, Big Ag continues to skirt any regulations for the air pollution from factory farms.
On day one of his administration, President Biden issued an executive order requiring agencies to review all of Trump’s bad environmental and public health rollbacks. Yet one bad Trump rule is sticking around – a disastrous rule that allows factory farms' toxic ammonia emissions to go unreported.
This follows a long history of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) giving factory farm air pollution a pass. EPA and Big Ag entered into a sweetheart deal in 2005 to “study” air pollutants like ammonia emitted by factory farms. EPA gave thousands of factory farms amnesty for their harmful pollution. More than a decade later EPA has failed to regulate this pollution and the amnesty remains in effect.
Food & Water Watch isn’t going to let the Biden administration continue with business as usual. We're in court to hold factory farms accountable for their dangerous air pollution, along with our allies.
Ammonia, released by manure and fertilizer, combines with other air pollutants like nitrogen to create small, hazardous particles that can drift for hundreds of miles. Factory farms are responsible for more than 70 percent of the ammonia emissions in the U.S.
A new report in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences details how agricultural air pollution — primarily ammonia from factory farms – accounts for more than 17,000 deaths annually in the U.S. — more than coal-fired power plants. Yet while pollution from power plants, factories and vehicles is regulated under federal laws, Big Ag continues to skirt any regulations for the air pollution from factory farms.
For far too long Big Ag has been allowed to pollute the environment and endanger public health and worker safety. It’s time to put an end to Big Ag’s devastation. That’s why we’re working to enforce clean air laws on factory farms. Make a tax-deductible donation today to help us fight Big Ag's pollution.
Onward together,
Wenonah Hauter
Founder and Executive Director
Food & Water Watch
Food & Water Watch and its affiliated organization, Food & Water Action, are advocacy groups with a common mission to protect our food, water and climate. This email was sent to [email protected] - and we're glad you got it, because it's one of the most important ways you can reclaim political power, hold elected officials accountable and resist corporate control.
