Letter: Rules to restrict animal waste have loopholes

Thursday, Dec. 19, 2002 | 8:53 a.m.

The regulations issued by the Bush administration last Monday to limit the dumping of animal waste from factory farms into our lakes and streams represent too little, too late. They are a sweet deal for polluting cattle barons, but they literally stink for the rest of us.

The Environmental Protection Agency acknowledges that agricultural runoff dumps more pollution in our lakes and streams than all other human activities combined.

The runoff contains soil particles, animal manure, assorted debris, salts, pesticides, drugs and heavy metals that produce vast "dead zones" around estuaries.

Yet, the rule covers only 6 percent of the 238,000 factory farms and none of the crop lands growing animal feed. The polluters have four years to come up with a waste management plan, and then they can shop around for a money-hungry state to approve it.

Alas, this is totally in tune with the rest of the administration's bankrupt environmental policy.

Fortunately, every one of us has the power to stop subsidizing this environmental outrage three times a day, just by saying "no" to polluting meat and dairy products. It shows the power of the individual in a democratic society.

LAWRENCE LAMBERT