Sep 18
Charles Duhigg has a great article in yesterday's New York Times about the mounting health problems caused by runoff from the nation's farms.
"MORRISON, Wis. — All it took was an early thaw for the drinking water here to become unsafe.
There
are 41,000 dairy cows in Brown County, which includes Morrison, and
they produce more than 260 million gallons of manure each year, much of
which is spread on nearby grain fields. Other farmers receive fees to
cover their land with slaughterhouse waste and treated sewage…In Morrison, more than 100 wells were polluted by agricultural
runoff within a few months, according to local officials. As parasites
and bacteria seeped into drinking water, residents suffered from
chronic diarrhea, stomach illnesses and severe ear infections.“Sometimes
it smells like a barn coming out of the faucet,” said Lisa Barnard, who
lives a few towns over, and just 15 miles from the city of Green Bay…Tests of her water showed it contained E. coli, coliform bacteria and other contaminants found in manure.
Last year, her 5-year-old son developed ear infections that eventually
required an operation. Her doctor told her they were most likely caused
by bathing in polluted water, she said."
You can find the full article here.