Environmental Health And Safety

Case Study 3

Juan and Maria had been trying to have a baby for 2 years. Their first child, Elaina,
conceived before they moved to their current home and born without a problem, was
now 4 1 ⁄ 2 years old. But yesterday, Maria experienced her third miscarriage in the past
14 months. Before they moved into their current home, about 3 years ago, Juan and
Maria had taken a sample of the well water and had it tested. At that time, the water
was determined to be safe to drink. Six months after that, however, a large-scale, rural
hog farm had been built less than one-half mile away and began operations shortly
afterward. At first, the smell wasn’t noticeable, but now the stench from the huge waste
lagoon was evident most days. State inspectors had made several visits to the
operation in the past year. Juan wondered whether the water in their well was still safe
to drink. He decided to have their well water tested again.

Answer the following questions:

1. Many people like Juan and Maria live where industrial poultry or livestock
operations have become established. What additional precautions could Juan
and Maria have taken before moving into their current home to protect their
health?
2. Suppose the well water is found to contain high levels of nitrates. Assuming that
Juan and Maria cannot move, what steps could they take to improve their
chances of a successful pregnancy? What might they do to restore the safety of
their well water? What local, state, or federal agencies might be able to help
them? Environmental injustice is a term used to describe situations in which
undesirable industries or waste disposal sites are preferentially located in
minority areas. Is there anything about this situation that might suggest that this
is a case of environmental injustice
3. Are industrial hog farms a problem in your municipality or city where you live?
What about cattle feedlots? What are your government’s regulations regarding
the establishment of huge factory farms?