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Opinion | A big victory to protect Michigan from factory farm pollution
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America is home to more factory farms producing more waste than ever before, dirtying our water and harming our health. After a years-long legal battle, Michiganders recently won a big victory against these corporate polluters. Michigan now has one of the nation’s strongest permits in place to protect people and the environment from factory farm water pollution.
Pollution from factory farms in Michigan is widespread. According to the Environmental Law & Policy Center, Michigan’s approximately 290 large factory farms produce more waste than the state’s population — 17 million pounds more waste per day. Much of it ends up in lakes, streams and groundwater, contaminating drinking water, endangering water recreation and driving Great Lakes algal blooms visible from space.
For too long, a key pollution permit intended to protect Michigan waters from factory farms was weak and ineffective. When the state Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (EGLE) improved the permit in 2020, industry attacked. Unwilling to accept responsibility for factory farm pollution, Michigan Farm Bureau, the state’s leading industry group, brought multiple legal actions against the agency. Last year, the Michigan Supreme Court rejected Farm Bureau’s effort to strip EGLE of its authority to protect water quality from factory farms. And now, the state has finally launched an improved factory farm permit that will meaningfully start cleaning up industry’s pollution.
Key changes include banning the harmful practice of spreading factory farm waste on frozen and snow-covered ground, and additional protections for impaired watersheds. In Food & Water Watch’s work fighting factory farm water pollution nationwide, commonsense industry oversight and regulation like this is rare, making this victory all the more impactful.
Michigan’s permit sets an example for the nation. It’s important to congratulate the state leaders who did the right thing. The dedicated staff at EGLE and the Attorney General’s office worked so hard to defend Michiganders from industrial pollution. But it’s even more important to recognize all the tireless, often thankless work that local advocates have led over the years for no reason other than love of Michigan’s special places. Advocates doing the hard work to hold polluters accountable are real-life superheros, and a reminder that when we stand together, we win.
Now the important task of implementing the improved pollution permit lies ahead. If done right, Michigan can lead the nation in reining in factory farm water pollution. EGLE has done a commendable job in writing and defending the permit, providing an example to other states of what it looks like to hold a polluting but powerful industry accountable. Now EGLE must follow through — a cleaner, healthier Michigan depends on it. A stronger permit is only as good as the enforcement behind it.
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