By Caroline Majewski, Publishing Associate: Researcher and Writer at Save the Water\u2122 | January 25, 2024<\/p>\n
\u201cThree quarters of large U.S. meat processing plants that discharge their wastewater directly into streams and rivers violated their pollution control permits over the last two years, with some dumping as much nitrogen pollution as small cities – facing little or no enforcement\u201d (Environmental Integrity Project, 2018, para. 1).<\/p>\n
In mid-December, the EPA announced a proposal.<\/a> It was for a new set of regulations on wastewater discharge for meat processing plants.<\/p>\n The first rules on this in 1974 dealt with wastewater directly discharged by slaughterhouses and other plants. However, the additions and EPA\u2019s actions have been slow to move forward since. The EPA hasn\u2019t revised pollution control standards<\/a> for the plants since 2004.<\/p>\n As a result, they\u2019re weak and aren\u2019t up to date with new technology.<\/p>\n In addition, 95 percent<\/a> of the plants are not bound to the rules of 2004. Meanwhile, some five percent are using rules set in the mid-1970s.<\/p>\n This is a point of concern by some organizations and people. For instance, the new public hearing is a result of a lawsuit<\/a> filed by community and conservationists late last year. <\/p>\n The EPA<\/a> held an online-only hearing on January 24, 2024. Meanwhile, another hearing will take place on January 31st, 10 am at the William D. Ruckelshaus Conference Center in Washington, DC. <\/p>\n The hope of this plan is to bring the meat and poultry plants into the now. Importantly, it\u2019ll help ensure upgrades are made to the plants with new rules and technology of today. The plan uses pollution-control technologies to improve water quality. <\/p>\n By cutting the amount of nitrogen, phosphorus, and other pollutants discharged, water in the surrounding areas will improve in health. Moreover, this will then benefit the communities that uphold and maintain the meat and poultry plants. <\/p>\n It establishes<\/a> stricter waste limitations for the chemicals above, along with E. coli bacteria, for direct discharges. Additionally, another new feature will be its coverage of indirect discharges. <\/p>\n The hope is that these new rules will reduce discharged pollutants<\/a> by about 100 million pounds per year. <\/p>\n Just like with steam electrical plants,<\/a> the populations most impacted are among low-income<\/a> and minority communities. Half the slaughterhouses are in areas with more than 30 percent of the residents living under the poverty line. <\/p>\n The working<\/a> conditions in these plants are poor<\/a> and include physical and mental<\/a> dangers. All the while, conditions outside the plants are also impacted by the pollution. <\/p>\n Nutrient pollution<\/a> is a widespread, and costly, problem. There are almost five thousand meat and poultry processing plants in the United States. A report<\/a> said that out of 98 plants surveyed, the median plant released an average of 331 pounds of nitrogen per day. <\/p>\n These plants are the largest and second-largest<\/a> industrial source of phosphorus and nitrogen pollution in the United States, respectively. <\/p>\n As of 2020, of the 1.5 billion cattle raised for meat production worldwide, there was at least 231 billion pounds of methane<\/a> released into our atmosphere. These chemicals aren\u2019t the only pollutants in our water<\/a>. The plants also pollute other materials<\/a> into our water: <\/p>\nGoals<\/h2>\n
Which Communities are Most Affected?<\/h2>\n
What is Polluted?<\/h2>\n
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What are the Health Effects?<\/h2>\n