Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations (CAFO) are large livestock and poultry operations that raise animals in a confined situation. CAFOs can improve the efficiency of animal production but large amounts of manure produce can, if not properly managed, degrade air and water quality. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is responsible for regulating CAFOs and requires CAFOs that discharge certain pollutants to obtain a permit. This report discusses the (1) trends in CAFOs over the past 30 years, (2) amounts of waste they generate, (3) findings of key research on CAFOs' health and environmental impacts, (4) EPA's progress in developing CAFO air emissions protocols, and (5) effect of recent court decisions on EPA's regulation of CAFO water pollutants. GAO analyzed U.S. Department of Agriculture's (USDA) data from 1982 through 2002, for large farms as a proxy for CAFOs; reviewed studies, EPA documents, laws, and regulations; and obtained the views of |