The plaintiffs contend that EPA made an agreement with the
livestock industry without including customary input from
residents whose health is harmed by the pollution. The agreement
allows factory farms throughout the U.S. to emit pollution in
excess of federal standards if a group of 17 "concentrated
animal feeding operations" (CAFOS) agree to conduct studies on
air pollution over the next several years.

"Essentially the deal was agreed upon by industry and the EPA
without any public participation from the communities affected
by the pollution," Michele Merkel, of the Environmental
Integrity Project, one of the groups involved in the lawsuit,
told BushGreenwatch.

Critics allege that the data sample required by the deal is too
small to draw any relevant conclusions, and that the methods to
be used for analysis are too weak. [2] Even if the data sample
were adequate, Merkel, formerly with the EPA during the Clinton
Administration, points out that, "The EPA already knows that
factory farm pollution is exceeding federal regulatory
standards, but this administration has virtually imposed a
moratorium on enforcement."

To fill the enforcement gap created by the Bush Administration
and respond to the demands of angry citizens, individual states
such as Iowa and California have made substantial efforts to
regulate CAFO air pollution on their own.

But the citizens' groups assert that the new "sweetheart deal"
will drastically undermine the abilities of states and local
citizens to require industry to meet stricter emissions
standards.

Livestock factory farms are the single largest contributor of
ammonia gas release in the U.S. They also emit hydrogen sulfide,
volatile organic compounds, and fine dust particles -- all of
which are linked to respiratory illness and contribute to an
alarming list of symptoms in people who live near factory farms.
[3]

According to the American Public Health Association and the
National Academy of Sciences, air pollution from factory farms
afflicts the health of rural communities across the nation.

Carissa Lenfert, rural organizer for Iowa Citizens for Community
Improvement, another group involved in the lawsuit says, "There
are over 300 gases coming from these kinds of facilities. Many
of them are toxic, and cause people to suffer from runny noses,
vomiting, and nausea. The pollution makes them extremely sick
and prevents them from being able to work outdoors on their own
farms."

Given the affect on their livelihood and communities, adds
Lenfert, residents are outraged at the EPA's neglect of their
well-being, "People are very upset that the EPA is working
behind closed doors with industry rather than protecting the
environment."

###

SOURCES:
[1] "Citizen, Farm Groups Challenge EPA Factory Farm "Sweetheart
Deal" Permitting Unchecked Pollution," Environmental Integrity
Project, Jun. 1, 2005.
[2] Ibid.
[3] "Comments of the Association of Irritated Residents Center
on Race, Poverty & the Environment," Environmental Defense,
Environmental Integrity Project, and Sierra Club, Jan. 31, 2005.