Initiatives to address agricultural sources of water pollution are likely to
receive considerable attention during the debates over the 1995 farm bill.
In preparation for these debates, you requested that we provide
information on the management of animal agriculture waste1 and related
water quality issues. Specifically, you asked us to provide information on
(1) water quality concerns arising from animal agriculture sources of
nonpoint pollution—pollution not traceable to a specific point of origin,2
(2) consolidation trends and geographical shifts in animal agriculture,
(3) animal agriculture production covered by point source permits,3
(4) commonly used animal waste management practices and their
associated costs, and (5) U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) cost-share
assistance for animal waste management. In addressing these objectives,
you also asked us to focus on the management of wastes associated with
breeding and feeding operations—generally farms, ranches, and
feedlots—for beef cattle, dairy cows, hogs, broilers, layers (laying hens),
and turkeys. We briefed your offices on this request on June 26, 1995. This
briefing report summarizes the information provided in that briefing.
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