Animal Law Podcast #79: The Case of the Filth in the Water

Animal Law

On this episode of the Animal Law Podcast, I speak with Tyler Lobdell about Food and Water Watch v Environmental Protection Agency, in which the 9th Circuit recently held that the EPA, in setting forth permitting requirements under the Clean Water Act for the way Idaho factory farms dispose of the staggering amount of manure that they are producing, was not, in very significant ways, requiring them to monitor themselves. Since there is no monitoring other than self-monitoring, this failure obviously defeats the purpose of having the requirements in the first place and undoubtedly accounts for the dreadful condition of many Idaho waterways. Tyler also discusses the overall lax enforcement of environmental regulations as they apply to factory farms, and the important implications for this case nationwide.

Tyler Lobdell is a staff attorney with Food & Water Watch where he focuses on combating factory farms through legal advocacy. Prior to joining Food & Water Watch, Tyler spent two years as the Animal Legal Defense Fund’s Food Law Fellow. He is particularly interested in the intersections between animal law and environmental law. Tyler graduated from Lewis & Clark Law School, where he served as Co-Editor in Chief of the Animal Law Review. A long-time environmentalist, Tyler spent almost 10 years leading conservation programs across the U.S. before attending law school. Aside from legal work, he currently spends his time raising two sons, caring for a flock of rescue chickens, and enjoying the outdoors.

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