Victory Against Factory-Style Hog Farms in Colorado

Posted: 01-Jan-1999; Updated: 17-Dec-2008

In November, Colorado voters unequivocally cast their support for better hog-farm regulations in the state. Voters shot down Amendment 13, which would have exempted hog farms from any industry-specific regulation. But Amendment 14, which called for new environmental rules for the industry and required them to pay for cleaning up their own pollution, won by a landslide. EDF and a broad coalition of farmers, ranchers, and grassroots groups applauded this overwhelming support for Colorado's environment.

"Industrial hog farming poses unprecedented and growing threats to our groundwater, air, soil, and ultimately our economy," said attorney Jim Martin, of EDF's Rocky Mountain office. "Hog production is up almost 600% in Colorado since 1995, even as the number of farmers has declined dramatically. With factory farms producing the waste-equivalent of a city of as many as 250,000 people, we've got a huge environmental challenge."

The factory farms, many directly above the Ogallala aquifer, threaten the lifeblood of Colorado's farm economy and the drinking water of its citizens. Among other things, the victorious Amendment 14 simply requires that new hog farms get permits and monitor water quality to prevent pollution.

"Hog-farm lobbyists have defeated similar efforts in the past," said Martin. "This time, our years of hard work and good science have paid off."