October 29, 2025
Lansing, MI – Today, Michigan’s Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (EGLE) Director Phillip Roos issued his final decision setting the terms of the new, long-awaited general permit for Michigan concentrated animal feeding operations, or CAFOs. The new permit is substantially more protective of water quality than the outdated permit that has been in place for the past 10 years.
While Director Roos’ decision didn’t include every provision requested by the Intervenors to control pollution from CAFOs flowing into Michigan’s waterways, it’s a significant step in the right direction toward improving water quality in the state. We thank EGLE and the Michigan Attorney General’s office for their work in preparing and defending this permit from over five years of aggressive legal attack from the CAFOs. Now, EGLE must quickly implement the Permit to ensure that it works as intended and protects state waters and the Great Lakes.
According to the Environmental Law & Policy Center, Michigan’s 290 permitted large CAFOs produce 17 million pounds more waste per day than the state’s population of 10 million people. This untreated waste — contaminated with E. coli, phosphorus, nitrates, and more — threatens drinking water supplies and drives toxic algal blooms. The five-year delay has enabled the existing lax water permits to remain in place for the past decade, until now.
Importantly, Director Roos curbed the harmful practice of applying CAFO waste on frozen and snow-covered ground, as well as the practice of giving away CAFO waste to unregulated parties during the winter months. Director Roos’ ruling also restored critical permit language governing CAFOs operating in impaired watersheds.
Today’s decision is the latest in a string of losses for the Michigan Farm Bureau in its effort to undermine common-sense regulation of CAFO pollution. The industry group lost in the Michigan Supreme Court last year, and the Administrative Law Judge rejected its argument that the current permit is adequately controlling CAFO pollution.
“The legal and administrative challenges to this commonsense permit have wasted five years, during which CAFOs were allowed to keep polluting Michigan’s waters,” said Katie Garvey, Senior Attorney at ELPC. “Now it’s time for the CAFOs to step up, be good neighbors, and stop the endless legal wrangling. EGLE must now take swift action to implement the new CAFO water permit.”
“We are happy to see an improved CAFO permit finally approved and ready for implementation in Michigan after the industry’s yearslong attempt to avoid responsibility for its pollution,” said Tyler Lobdell, Senior Staff Attorney at Food & Water Watch. “Michiganders deserve clean water and no one has the right to pollute. We look forward to defending strong CAFO regulations in Michigan going forward.”
“Water pollution is not improving in Michigan,” said Megan Tinsley, Water Policy Director for the Michigan Environmental Council. “Waterbodies continue to fail to meet their designated uses, such as swimming, and more rivers and streams become impaired every year. Our waters inspired the motto ‘Pure Michigan’ and support a $13.9 billion outdoor recreation economy. EGLE must quickly implement the provisions in this long-overdue permit to prevent further degradation.”
“Residents across Michigan won a victory for cleaner and healthier waterways, drinking water and recreation with this decision to protect us all from CAFO waste,” said Jill Ryan, Executive Director of Freshwater Future.
“For many rural residents, dealing with CAFO odors, runoff, heavy trucking, and water quality destruction — surface and ground — has become an exhausting, expensive, year-round ordeal,” said Carrie La Seur, Legal Director of Flow Water Advocates. “Michigan has something priceless in its natural heritage. This is not just a paperwork exercise, it’s essential regulation citizens need to protect their health and quality of life.”
The Intervenors that supported EGLE’s original 2020 CAFO permit and requested additional measures to further strengthen protections for clean water included: the Environmental Law & Policy Center, Michigan Environmental Council, Food & Water Watch, Flow Water Advocates, Alliance for the Great Lakes, Environmentally Concerned Citizens of South Central Michigan, Freshwater Future, and Michigan League of Conservation Voters.