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Keep Animal Waste Out of Our Waters-- Stop Factory Farm Pollution America's drinking water, rivers and lakes are at risk from giant, corporate-owned factory farms. Animal feeding operations, many of which confine thousands of animals in facilities, produce staggering amounts of animal waste -- 500 million tons per year. Too often, this waste leaks into our rivers and streams, fouling our air, contaminating our drinking water and spreading disease. According to the Environmental Protection Agency, hog, chicken and cattle waste has polluted 35,000 miles of rivers in 22 states and contaminated groundwater in 17 states. No Bailout for Factory Farms! Tell Congress that factory farms should pay to clean up their mess! When large factory farms pollute our drinking water with their waste they should have to pay to clean up the mess. But now Congress is set to consider a bill that would exempt factory farms from the polluter-pays law, allowing them to pass the cost of cleaning up their pollution to the ratepayers. The bill would bail out companies like Tyson Foods who are currently facing clean-up costs for pollution. Watch our animation and send a message to your Senators to hold factory farms accountable for damaging our waters! Is There Life After Pigs? "Living a Nightmare: Animal Factories in Michigan," a 24-minute documentary, explores how animal factories are impacting Michigan citizens and family farmers. Tour de Stench Reporter Tom Valtin follows where Kentucky organizer Aloma Dew leads -- and it's not pretty. Read about the most recent Tour de Stench in Kentucky. The Original Tour Aloma Dew leads a tour of chicken-factory land. She says, "Stockpiles of manure were observed by sight and smell. The participants gagged at the terrible odor. It certainly justified the name of the tour." Low Plains Drifter Tales from the road trip of former Sierra Club organizer Ken Midkiff, who traveled the West organizing local communities against the growing menace of Big Pig, Big Chicken, and Big Dairy. About Our Campaign: The Sierra Club's campaign to protect America's water from factory farms -- one of the organization's four national priority campaigns -- is committed to keeping factory farm pollution out of America's drinking water, lakes and rivers, and eliminating the threats that CAFOs pose to our public health and rural heritage. Top photo courtesy USDA. Up to Top HOME | Email Signup | About Us | Contact Us | Terms of Use