Jerry Cornfield recently wrote about the new EPA clean water rules coming to Washington. But rivers and lakes aren’t the only bodies of water that need stricter protections from toxic pollutants.

Milk from Washington’s 200,000 dairy cows contaminates our groundwater with 24 million pounds of unregulated manure every day. Unfortunately, Gov. Inslee and the Department of Ecology don’t seem to understand the connection between large concentrated animal feed operation (CAFO) waste runoff and pollution of our streams, waterways and most importantly, drinking water supplies.

Or maybe it is even worse – the department does understand that untreated manure from CAFOs is contaminating drinking water with toxic nitrates that can cause birth defects and other health consequences, and doesn’t care.

Whichever the case – ignorance or negligence – we deserve better. We deserve clean water and need a stronger CAFO permit than what Gov. Inslee and Ecology have put forward.

– Sierra Wollen