Cesspools of Shame: How Factory Farm Lagoons and Sprayfields Threaten Environmental and Public Health

This July 2001 report from NRDC and the Clean Water Network documents how animal waste from factory farms threatens human health and our nation's rivers. Most factory farms store animal waste in open lagoons as large as several football fields. Lagoons routinely burst, sending millions of gallons of manure into waterways and spreading microbes that can cause gastroenteritis, fevers, kidney failure, and death. This report lists the track records of the largest polluters and recommends existing technology that is safer and more sustainable.