Nathan Monson

November 3, 2017

PHIL 3530

Assignment 2

It is unlawful for any concentrated animal feeding operation to dispose of animal waste in a way

that will:

(a) contaminate any groundwater beyond the property of the farm or,

(b) contaminate any bodies of water beyond the property of the farm

Concentrated animal feeding operations will be required to estimate how much manure they will

need to use for their feed once every six months and dispose of remaining waste.

Concentrated animal feeding operations will be subject to biannual inspections at the beginning

of each term by trained government employees who will:

(a) review the estimated amount of manure needed provided by the farms,

(b) inspect soil content to ensure the estimate is accurate,

(c) inspect groundwater and local bodies of water to ensure proper waste disposal and,

(d) test surrounding groundwater and bodies of water beyond the farms to regulate pollution

Values at Stake

The implementation of the proposed law regulating manure usage and disposal would

improve serious environmental issues hazardous to life on earth. Properly disposing of waste will

reduce the amount of disease spread through improper and careless methods of disposal due to

the chemicals, growth hormones, and bacteria like E. coli found in manure that gets mixed in

with groundwater; which poses threats to drinking water.

 Stakeholders

Concentrated animal feeding operations stand to lose the most from the proposed law.

Farmers will be required to project how much manure they will need to use for their feed every

six months, check soil content to ensure nutrient needs are being met for optimal feed yield, pass

an inspection at the start of each term, and use more inconvenient methods of waste disposal to

provide maximum environmental protection against pollution. The owners of these farms and,

presumably, a sizable portion of the American public are likely to oppose the new law, as it will

increase the cost of products produced in CAFOs due to the added expenses needed to keep up

with the regulations. Many Americans, however, will stand in favor of the law because of the

health and environmental reasons listed above. Larger farms will have a much more difficult

time maintaining the regulations, causing them to reform into smaller farms and, ideally, creating

a better quality of life for the animal units on the farms. This will bring together a key

demographic of animal rights activists in support of the law in question.

Alternatives

Leading alternatives to the issue also call for the projection of manure need and proper

waste disposal, however, they do not propose a system in effectively enforcing these regulations.

My law requires that inspectors visit the farms biannually and ensure that the waste regulations

are being met. With inspectors visiting the farms twice yearly, this will also help enforce other

laws surrounding CAFO's.

Implementation

Implementing the law would, essentially, mean a complete reform of the current waste

disposal practices currently used. Many farms would need to be educated on methods of proper

waste disposal and how to determine the amount of manure a specific farm will need for a six
month term. Employees would need to be hired and compensated, on both sides, for dealing with

this specific law. Cheaper alternatives are available, however, they provide CAFOs with more

loopholes.