"The agency says it will move forward on air emissions regulations for livestock operations this year."

"When gases from large livestock facilities overwhelm communities, the health impacts can be severe.

Children at schools near concentrated animal feeding operations, or CAFOs, are more likely to experience asthma. Exposure to ammonia and hydrogen sulfide — both emitted in large quantities by CAFOs — can lead to chronic respiratory issues, and in some cases, cause damage to the nervous system.

In states like North Carolina and Ohio, families that are Black, Hispanic or low-income are more likely to suffer the consequences.

Yet 18 years after starting to develop methods to measure and control air pollution from livestock operations, the Environmental Protection Agency still has not complied with its own mandate to protect Americans from the harmful health effects of air pollution from big farms."

Madison McVan reports for Investigate Midwest April 20, 2023. [2]