Washington, DC — On Tuesday the EPA announced invitees for a new Animal Agriculture and Water Quality (AAWQ) Federal Advisory Committee Subcommittee, tasked with studying factory farm water pollution and recommending improvements to the agency’s failed Clean Water Act program. Food & Water Watch Legal Director Tarah Heinzen is among the invitees. The subcommittee will begin work immediately and run until November 2025.

EPA is forming the subcommittee in response to a 2017 petition submitted by Food & Water Watch and dozens of co-petitioners, urging the agency to strengthen factory farm water pollution regulations. Food & Water Watch and 12 groups are currently suing EPA over its August 2023 denial of that petition, which doubled down on the agency’s failure to properly regulate industry pollution.

In response, Food & Water Watch Legal Director Tarah Heinzen issued the following statement:

“Factory farm water pollution is a threat to clean water and public health across the country, and most of this industry remains entirely unregulated. I look forward to advocating for urgently-needed reforms as a member of this new Subcommittee. EPA has a track record of dangerously delaying much-needed regulation of factory farm water pollution — it must not use this process to justify further delay and inaction. We’ll do our best to speak for clean water, independent farmers and environmental justice, and make those voices heard as we push for stronger regulation.”