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3 Drake J. Agric. L. Green Issue 1 (2026)

handle is hein.journals/drejloacl3 and id is 1 raw text is: CAFOS AS A STATE RESPONSIBILITY: NAVIGATING THE EPA'S LANE WITHOUT HITTING THE FEEDLOTS Ryleigh Travers? Abstract .................................................................................................................. 1 I. Introduction......................................................................................................... 2 II. B ackground and H istory............................................................................. . 4 A . The C lean W ater A ct....................................................................... . 4 B. Large Animal Numbers: Iowa and North Carolina........................... 5 1 . Io w a ............................................................................................. . 6 2. N orth C arolina ......................................................................... . 6 C. Conditions and Regulations that Address State-Specific Concerns: Virginia, South Dakota, Ohio, and South Carolina........................ 7 D. States with Low Animal Numbers: Alaska and Rhode Island ............. 10 III. A ccess to Inform ation ............................................................................. . 10 A. Built to Scale: How Support Programs Strengthen CAFOs............. 11 IV. Investing in Efficiency: The Policy Case for CAFOs................................ 12 A . The CAFO Delegation Debate ........................................................ 12 B. Recent Examples of CAFO Oversight Expansion............................ 15 C. Think Outside the Box, or Just Use a Bigger Box ........................... 16 D . Everyone Gets a Seat at the Table................................................... . 19 E. G azing into the Crystal Ball .......................................................... . 21 V. The Future of CAFOs: Key Takeaways and Final Thoughts..................... 24 ABSTRACT Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations (CAFOs) occupy a central and often controversial position in agricultural and environmental law. While environmental advocacy groups frequently frame CAFOs as primary contributor to pollution and rural community harm, CAFOs are increasingly challenged through litigation, rulemaking petitions, and expanded state regulatory efforts. Using a state-by-state analysis, this Note examines how differing statutory frameworks, permitting structures, and enforcement priorities shape CAFO ? J.D. Candidate, Drake University Law School 2026; B.S., Agricultural Business, Colorado State University 2023. Growing up on her family's cow-calf operation in the northern part of Virginia, the author developed a deep respect for the people that feed the country. The author would like to thank her parents, Noah and Jenny, for their unconditional love and support, and Chris Gruenhagen for her guidance throughout this process. 1