Data Show Need for Updated Pollution Rules, Curbing Corporate Power

Tyson Foods meat and poultry processing plants released more than 371.1 million pounds of pollutants into local waterways across the country between 2018 and 2022, according to an analysis released by the Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS). It found that over half of the pollutants were dumped into water, including streams, rivers, lakes and wetlands, in just three states: Nebraska, Illinois and Missouri.

The analysis is a conservative accounting of the wastewater pollution released by Tyson plants, through activities like animal washing, cleaning meat and animal products, sanitizing equipment and scrubbing work areas. The study looked at the corporation’s 41 slaughterhouses and large processing plants wastewater discharges. Those facilities account for one third of Tyson plants.

“As the nation’s largest meat and poultry producer, Tyson Foods plays a huge role in our food and agriculture system and has for decades exploited policies that allow big agribusiness corporations to pollute with impunity,” said Dr. Omanjana Goswami, interdisciplinary scientist with the Food and Environment Program at UCS and report co-author. “In 2022, the latest year for which we have data, Tyson plants processed millions of cattle and pigs and billions of chickens, and discharged over 18.5 billion gallons of wastewater, enough to fill more than 37,000 Olympic swimming pools.”

The discharged wastewater contains animal waste and chemicals, including 34.25 million pounds of nitrogen and 5.06 million pounds of phosphorus between 2018 and 2022. Large amounts of nitrogen and phosphorus feed algal blooms that can exacerbate respiratory conditions like asthma, clog water infrastructure and cause ‘dead zones’ by depleting oxygen levels in water and causing fish and other marine life to suffocate and die.

Pollution from plants in the Midwest can travel through the Mississippi watershed and end up in the Gulf of Mexico, feeding a massive and persistent dead zone nearly the size of Puerto Rico.

Below are state-level findings from the analysis:

• Arkansas waterways received over 10% of reported pollution from Tyson plants – more than 37 million pounds.
• Illinois waterways received nearly 15% of reported pollution from Tyson plants.  The Tyson plant in Rock Island County, Illinois, one of the top three highest polluting plants in the country, released 52.7 million pounds of pollutants over five years.         
• Michigan waterways received over 10% of reported pollution from Tyson plants. The Tyson plant in Ottawa County, Michigan, one of the top three highest polluting plants in the country, released 43.8 million pounds of pollutants over five years.
• Missouri waterways received over 10% of reported pollution from Tyson plants – more than 48 million pounds.
• Nebraska waterways received 30% of reported pollution from Tyson plants – more than 111 million pounds.  The Tyson plant in Dakota County, Nebraska, one of the top three highest polluting plants in the country, released over 60 million pounds of pollutants between 2018 and 2022. Tyson pollution in Nebraska included 4.06 million pounds of nitrate, a chemical that can contaminate drinking water, cause blood disorders and neural defects in infants, and cause cancer and thyroid disease in adults. Research has identified possible associations between high levels of nitrates in waterways and elevated incidence of pediatric cancer. 
• Pennsylvania waterways received 10% of reported pollution from Tyson plants – more than 38 million pounds.

“Pollution from these plants also raises environmental justice concerns,” said Dr. Stacy Woods, research director for the Food and Environment Program at UCS and report co-author. “We know from previous research that almost 75% of water-polluting meat and poultry processing facilities are located within one mile of communities that already shoulder heavy economic, health or environmental burdens. In mapping these plants, we found Tyson largely fit that pattern, with many plants located near communities where people live with more pollution, less socioeconomic and political power, and worse health compared to other areas of the United States.”

In addition, the report found that many plants are near federally defined critical habitats for endangered or threatened species, such as the whooping crane in Nebraska.

The analysis highlights the need for stronger Meat and Poultry Products Effluent Guidelines, which regulate slaughterhouse and processing plant wastewater pollution, and which the US Environmental Protection Agency is now updating.

In addition, Congress must better address consolidation in the meat and poultry industry and the power it gives companies to pollute without fear of consequences. Tyson’s aggressive acquisition and consolidation strategy has resulted in a megacorporation that can afford to ignore rules and regulations and treat fines and penalties as the cost of doing business. In a new five-year food and farm bill, Congress should incorporate proposals such as the Farm System Reform Act which would strengthen the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s ability to crack down on the monopolistic practices of meatpackers including Tyson Foods.

You can view an interactive map of plants here.

The Union of Concerned Scientists puts rigorous, independent science to work to solve our planet’s most pressing problems. Joining with people across the country, we combine technical analysis and effective advocacy to create innovative, practical solutions for a healthy, safe and sustainable future. For more information, go to www.ucsusa.org.