Concerned Citizens

for Clean Water

SaveOurWaterSupply.org

Working to Keep America's Water Safe and Clean

Economic Impacts
Lobbyists for the CAFO [Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations] Industry argue that CAFOs bring economic development to rural regions.
Dr. William Weida, with the Department of Economics of The Colorado College, states: “In an era when it is estimated that over 10,000 communities across the US compete to recruit companies to their areas, it is reasonable to question why some companies must search for regions willing to take them.
"The answer to this question lies in the previous description of the companies that seek isolated locations--most are pollution shopping and their presence imposes considerable social or environmental costs on their hosts.
"Further, companies that seek out isolated regions have very specific requirements in mind. Since they do not intend to grow crops, they actively search for cheap land to lower their investment in the area. They prefer a CAFO location surrounded with enough good cropland to grow the feed the CAFO requires and to absorb the waste the CAFO generates (although this land is likely to become overloaded with salts and heavy metals after a few years).”
[Dr. William J. Weida: “Pollution Shopping in Rural America: The Myth of Economic Development in Isolated Regions”]
Economic Links
EDITORIAL: What is the REAL Economic Impact for Our Community?
EDITORIAL: Economic Development for Whom? Subsidies, subsidies, subsidies....

Copyright 2002-2006 Concerned Citizens for Clean Water, 7025 Sparrow Point, Fort Worth, Texas 76133. Phone: (817)346-7122. Email: citizens@saveourwatersupply.org.