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What to do with all that manure?

When 1,000 plus cows are crowded into a large confinement dairy, they generate tons of manure. Typically, the manure is pumped into a lagoon to be dealt with at a later date.

Last year, an Illinois confinement dairy allowed its 8.3 acre lagoon to overflow with animal waste. The Attorney General's Office filed suit against the dairy, forcing the operators to take action. Against regulations, the dairy pumped the waste into a nearby ravine and then tried to keep it from spilling over by constructing earthen dams. Not surprisingly, the dams burst, spewing the manure into a nearby pond and killing off the fish. Then a heavy rain flushed the manure into a nearby creek. For pictures of the disaster, visit the factory farm website.

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