Tyson Dumps Over 6 Times More Toxic Pollution into Waterways Than Exxon
An Environmental Article from All-Creatures.org

From

Sarah Von Alt, Mercy for Animals
February 2016

Not so long ago, agricultural pollutants from factory farms were deemed the primary cause of dangerous phosphorus algal blooms that spread in Lake Erie. This contamination left hundreds of thousands of Ohio residents without safe drinking water.

According to a new report by Environment America, Tyson, one of the largest meat producers in the world, is responsible for dumping more toxic pollution into our waterways than companies like ExxonMobil and Dow Chemical:

Tyson Foods, Inc. or its subsidiaries dumped more than 20 million pounds of pollution directly into our waterways in 2014 alone. This figure only includes pollutants reported to U.S. EPA’s Toxic Release Inventory, and does not include pollution from factory farms raising livestock for Tyson.

So not even counting pollution from its factory farms, Tyson produced more than six times as much pollution as ExxonMobil for the years included in the report.

But it’s not just Tyson. Several other large-scale meat producers ranked higher in toxic releases than Exxon, including Perdue Farms and Pilgrim’s Pride.

It should come as no surprise that animal excrement and other agricultural runoff from large-scale farms have polluted nearly one-third of rivers in the U.S.

Not so long ago, agricultural pollutants from factory farms were deemed the primary cause of dangerous phosphorus algal blooms that spread in Lake Erie. This contamination left hundreds of thousands of Ohio residents without safe drinking water.

Unfortunately, many environmentalists still have no idea that raising animals for food is so incredibly destructive. That’s why informing the public is crucial.

It’s not just our waterways that are threatened by animal agriculture. Consider some of these facts:

  • It takes 2,500 gallons of water to produce just one pound of beef.
  • Eighty percent of land deforested in the Amazon is for raising cattle.
  • Meat eaters generate twice the CO2 emissions as vegans.

Luckily, we can all take a stand against environmental destruction and animal suffering by ditching cruel and resource-intensive animal products.


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