The report, entitled Cesspools of Shame, is the most comprehensive one to date on waste lagoons, calls on the Bush administration to phase out waste lagoons at large-scale hog, dairy and egg farms, and ban the construction of new ones.

"The Bush administration and the Wisconsin Legislature should force factory farms to close their waste lagoons and install up-to-date pollution controls," said Kerry Schumann, WISPIRG Director.  "Closing these polluting pools would show that our elected officials support public health and the environment, rather than bowing to agribusiness."

Citing scientific studies, pollution records and anecdotal reports from victims of factory farm pollution, Cesspools of Shame documents the dangers posed by factory farm lagoons, which store massive quantities of animal waste in open-air pits, and the common practice of over-applying waste on "sprayfields."

Lagoon and sprayfield wastewater contains viruses, bacteria, antibiotics, metals, oxygen-depleting substances and other toxins that run off the land, contaminate the groundwater, and pollute the atmosphere.  The report also summarizes the wide range of alternatives to the lagoon and sprayfield system, including wastewater treatment technology and sustainable agricultural practices that prevent pollution.

According to Ruth Simpson of Family Farm Defenders, "Giant livestock operations are a looming threat to the health and well being of rural America.  These factory farms are polluting our air and water with their irresponsible waste techniques.  With our air and water at stake, why is the state of Wisconsin funding farm expansions when every day we lose 4 to 5 dairy farms?  Why aren't we doing more to save small environmentally responsible farms?"

The groups highlighted a dairy in Wisconsin that has had problems with a manure lagoon and liquid manure spreading - Spring Grove Dairy.

Prior to moving from California to Wisconsin, the 1,500 cow Spring Grove Dairy in Brodhead, Wisconsin, promised to run a "state-of-the-art" manure storage pit.  They claimed that the manure pits were "more environmentally friendly" than traditional livestock operations and that the pits could hold 13 months worth of manure.  They also claimed that the manure would be spread on fields once a year, in the fall.

But, according to Melissa Scanlan, Executive Director of Midwest Environmental Advocates, "Instead of an environmentally-friendly operation, we have gotten broken promises.  Last August 28, citizens found that the manure pits were at capacity, and that the facility needed to build up the sides of the pit with sand," said Scanlan.  "Rather than knifing the manure into the ground once a year in fall, citizens documented manure spreading on frozen ground this past February.  To date, this facility has not been fined for its violations,"  Scanlan added.

Despite the devastating impact of this outdated approach to manure storage and disposal, the Environmental Protection Agency and the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources  have been unwilling to consider banning lagoon and sprayfield systems at large-scale animal feedlots.

Under EPA's proposed technology regulations, the agency would continue to allow thousands of hog, dairy, and egg factory farms to store liquid manure in lagoons the size of several football fields. The agency's proposal also would allow new operations to use lagoon and sprayfield systems.

Lagoons are typically used on large industrial farms.  Wisconsin has seen rapid growth in the number of industrial size farms in the past few years, with an 18% increase in 1999 and a 40% increase in 2000.

As more of these facilities begin to operate using this polluting manure management practice, Wisconsin is likely to see increased health and environmental problems in rural areas.  Lagoons have broken, failed or overflowed at livestock operations, leading to fish kills and contaminated drinking water supplies.