Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations (CAFOs) are all over the US, owned mainly by major corporations like Tyson, Cargill, JBS and National Beef, four of the top meat suppliers. According to a report published by the National Association of Local Boards of Health, CAFOs directly impact the environment because of the large quantities of manure produced at these facilities. Manure carries certain nutrients such as nitrates and phosphorous, which in large quantities can lead to birth defects and cancer. Additionally, manure contains growth hormones, E. coli, copper sulfate, antibiotics and other forms of bacteria and chemicals, all of which can cause negative health effects when consumed.
Widespread
The problem is widespread and affects our drinking water. Tarah Heinzen, of Food and Water Watch, told Bloomberg BNA, “EPA recently estimated that there are about 19,000 CAFOs in the country and that of those, about three-quarters probably discharge into waterways and should be regulated under the Clean Water Act.”
And according to the Environmental Working Group (EWG) Database, 1,700 water utilities currently contain nitrate levels exceeding 5 parts per million, the threshold associated with increased risk of cancer.
Pesticides
It’s not just manure; pesticides are also part of the problem. It’s well-known by now that Monsanto’s pesticide, Roundup, has been linked to cancer, specifically non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma. The active ingredient, Glyphosate has been pinpointed as the culprit. Plaintiffs allege that the major agro-company knew about the cancer link, but failed to notify consumers about the potential effects.
Pesticides come in a few different forms. Insecticides, for instance, are used to kill insects known to eat certain crops. And herbicides are chemicals designed to kill weeds and other harmful plants. These can be specifically targeted against certain plants or they can apply to all or most weeds.
Climate Change
Fertilizers and pesticides often find their way into our drinking water. A few years ago, the EPA joined forces with the US Geological Survey to test the country’s water sources for chemicals used on farms. Scientists noted that increased rainfall throughout the Midwest has worsened the problem because when crops are subject to intense bouts of rain, the chemicals are more likely to slip off the farms and into nearby streams or groundwater. This suggests that climate change could have a direct effect on the negative environmental impact of factory farming.
Pursuing Claims
In addition to the environmental impact, pesticides and fertilizers can also lead to negative health effects, as briefly mentioned above. In fact, more and more people are pursuing toxic tort claims all over the country, according to BNA Bloomberg. Specifically, tort claims are being filed in states where factory farming is common – including Arizona, Illinois, Iowa, North Carolina and Wisconsin.
Most toxic tort claims involving exposure to pesticides imply some form of alleged negligence. If, for instance, you have been using RoundUp for decades and have been diagnosed with non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma, it may be evident that the negligent party is Monsanto and that their negligence caused you harm. But when pesticides and fertilizers work their way into your drinking water, it can be more difficult to prove negligence.
In these cases, agricultural pollution generally produces negative health effects slowly over time. You may need to survey nearby farms and check to see whether they employ the proper procedures. If the drinking water is contaminated, it is also likely that someone else in your region is experiencing a negative health effect, in which case it may be easier to prove the water source is the problem.
However, linking the contamination to a particular company and showing that their negligence is linked to your illness can be pretty tricky. Having an attorney who understands the complex relationship between Federal, State and local regulations can be super helpful as you attempt to obtain compensation for your hardship. A skilled toxic tort attorney can help you answer the hard questions.
