Decorah man suggests new approach to regulating confined animal feeding operations

The process of animal confinement has long been considered to be a purely agricultural issue, but one Decorah man is arguing that the issue now extends into waste treatment, and failing to act on this has and will continue to lead to severe public health concerns for the residents of Iowa.

Bob Watson gave a presentation to the Winneshiek County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday regarding concerns over animal confinement practices, particularly with pigs, and their relation to public health.

Watson suggested that confinement of animals in Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations (CAFO) leads to the build-up of toxic gases such as hydrogen sulfide and ammonia, as well as creating an ideal environment for bacterial infections like MRSA to grow. These types of CAFO waste go unregulated and untreated under agricultural law.

Watson pointed out that this should not be considered as an agricultural issue, but one of waste management and upstanding business practices. As pigs produce five times the amount of waste as humans, this issue must be addressed soon, Watson argues.

The manure produced in CAFO lots and the subsequent gases and bacteria produced pose a threat to the health of the confined animals, so farmers will "fan" the air out of a CAFO and into the surrounding environment.

Watson contends that the process of "blowing away" the pollutants has lead to significant respiratory and digestive problems for many Iowa residents. Asthma is a major concern for Iowa, where the state average of 6.7 percent is double the national standard for the disease. Watson pointed out that living within a half-mile of a CAFO increases individual risk to 25 percent. However, bacterial infections, such as MRSA, also pose a large concern. 

The Board of Supervisors acknowledged that the issue went beyond agricultural regulation but it remained unable to enact any sort of regulation at the county level, suggesting that change must come from the state legislature. However, changing the mindset of legislators will be difficult. As Supervisor John Beard noted, "the political capture of the legislature by the [agricultural industry] is complete."

Regardless of the outlook, Watson urged that the health concerns regarding animal confinement are much higher than the necessary regulation placed on farmers engaging in the practice. When it comes to industrial agriculture, Watson believes that it should be held to the same standard as wastewater and other toxic pollutants.

"This is beyond agriculture," Watson said. "It's a dangerous business practice that, anywhere else, would be taken care of."