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Credit: Friends of Family Farmers/Flickr

A Michigan court ruling may reshape how animal waste is regulated

A recent Michigan Supreme Court decision could drastically change how the state — and possibly others — regulates pollution from industrial animal farms.

Keith Schneider reports for Circle of Blue and The New Lede.

In short:

  • Michigan’s Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (EGLE) now has the authority to enforce stricter manure management practices for Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations (CAFOs).
  • The ruling is seen as a significant win for environmental advocates, who hope it will set a precedent for stronger regulations nationwide.
  • CAFO waste, which contains harmful chemicals and bacteria, has been a major source of water pollution in Michigan and other states.

Key quote:

"This is a rare win for water protection."

— Sam Carpenter, executive director of the Hoosier Environmental Council

Why this matters:

With this ruling, there’s hope that we might finally see a shift toward more sustainable and responsible farming practices that protect both our environment and our health. It's a win for clean water, and a wake-up call for an industry that’s been polluting unchecked for far too long.

Read more: Peak Pig: Our series on the fight for the soul of rural America

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Despite constituting a small fraction of their portfolios, big banks' financing of the industrial livestock industry plays a disproportionately large role in global greenhouse emissions, a recent environmental report reveals.

Meg Duff reports for Capital & Main.

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NC law makes electric utilities buy power from poultry waste

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factory farm animal waste
David Wilson/Flickr

Nebraskans urge better state management of factory farm animal waste

Clean-water advocates are urging the Nebraska Department of Environment and Energy to do more to protect drinking water and soil quality impacted by industrial-scale beef, pork and chicken operations.

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The Cape Fear River supplies drinking water to tens of thousands of state residents. It's also an ecosystem under pressure.
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Cases of bird flu—or highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI)—were discovered in poultry flocks in three different states this week, raising concerns about the spread of the virus across the U.S.

Missouri CAFO rules lawsuit

Counties ask Missouri Supreme Court to strike down law restricting local CAFO rules

A circuit court judge ruled in a lawsuit that the state of Missouri could preempt counties from creating CAFO rules. The counties appealed.
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