Where? St. Louis, Missouri

When? November 4-5, 1998

The National Ground Water Association is providing this important conference as a forum to discuss the issues and impacts of AFOs and the ground water resources of the nation.

According to the U.S EPA Administrator, Carol Browner, Animal Feeding Operations are "a major source of water pollution." There are about 450,000 AFO€™s in the U.S. Roughly 6,600 fall into the category of Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations (CAFOs). U.S. EPA estimates that, "agricultural practices contribute to the degradation of 60 percent of the nation€™s surveyed rivers that are impaired. Feedlots are estimated to adversely impact 16 percent of waters that are impaired from agricultural practices." The March 4th draft Strategy for Addressing Environmental and Public Health Impacts from Animal Feeding Operations, (U.S. EPA), explains that AFO activities can cause a range of problems including pathogen and nutrient contamination of ground water. The document states that "evidence suggests that EPA€™s regulatory and voluntary efforts to date have been insufficient to solve the environmental and public health problems associated with AFOs." EPA released the draft document as its first action under the Clinton's Administration€™s new Clean Water Action Plan. It calls for immediate inspections and increased enforcement for large AFOs, identifying them as "substantial contributors of nutrients (e.g., nitrogen and phosphorus) in water bodies that have experienced severe anoxia (i.e. low levels of dissolved oxygen) or outbreaks of microbes, such as Pfiesteria piscicida a toxic microorganism responsible for fish kills and disease. Cryptosporidium shall also be discussed.

The Animal Agriculture Reform Act was introduced in the Senate by U.S Senator Tom Harkin, a Democrat from Iowa. The bill calls for national environmental standards for the handling of animal waste by the large feedlots and for the U.S. Department of Agriculture to approve waste management plans. A report entitled, "Animal Waste Pollution in America: An Emerging National Problem" released by the Minority Staff of the U.S. Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry has brought even more attention to the issue in Washington. Because of the recent announcements by the U.S. EPA, the Senate Committee, and Senator Harkin, there is a strong need for regulators, scientists, farmers, and engineers to come together and explore the real water quality data and address the proper technology for handling the growing problem of animal waste operations.

Papers are to be presented in one of these 4 major topics:

1. Health

2. Environmental Impacts

3. Management & Regulatory

4. Facility Design

If you are interested in presenting at this conference, please contact Dennis Goldman, Ph.D., Science Education Counsel, 601 Dempsey Rd., Westerville, OH 43081, 1-800-551-7379, ext. 557 or E-mail him at: