Colorado Gov. Jared Polis and his administration are back in court today defending against claims they failed to protect Colorado waters and public health from factory farm pollution. After a Colorado district court ruled in 2024 current regulations for operating permits were sufficient to comply with the federal Clean Water Act, conservation groups appealed. Emily Miller, staff attorney for the advocacy group Food and Water Watch, a plaintiff in the case, said the main problem is factory farms are operating as sewer-less cities. “They store vast quantities of untreated waste that is not just manure. It is filled with pollutants, including harmful nitrates, bacteria, heavy metals, antibiotics and hormones that are fed to the animals,” Miller outlined. … The state agency charged with regulating factory farms argued monitoring for leaks was unnecessary because there was no evidence manure pits leak. 

Other groundwater news:

• The Pajaronian (Watsonville, Calif.): PVWMA seeks input on land repurposing plan
• The Business Journal (Fresno, Calif.): Kings County Farm Bureau lawsuit awaits court ruling​