A Short History of Livestock-Related Water Pollution

1993: Manure from dairy cows was linked to the Cryptosporidium contamination of Milwaukee's drinking water, which killed more than 100 people and sickened 400,000.

1996: The Centers for Disease Control linked high nitrate levels in Indiana drinking water wells located near feedlots to spontaneous abortions.

Rogue Businessman Dumps 100 Tons of Iron Into Sea in 'Experiment' (New York Times) (10/23/12)
Stuck in the Middle (12/18/12)
PETA Drones to Hunt Hunters (Fast Company) (04/10/13)
Fines and Penalties Alter Buying Habits (02/19/13)
A Vast Potential for Peril (10/01/12)

1998: 19 people died from hydrogen sulfide emissions from manure pits, according to the National Institute of Health.

1999: Hurricane Floyd hit North Carolina, causing at least five manure lagoons to burst and 47 to completely flood.

2000: About 1,300 cases of gastroenteritis and six deaths were linked to E. coli-contaminated drinking water in Walkerton, Ontario, most likely from cattle manure runoff.

2001: Nitrates from Seaboard Farms hog operations contaminated drinking water wells. The EPA issues an emergency order so that the company provided safe drinking water to area residents.

Source: Natural Resources Defense Council

May 1, 2011

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