On the southeast coast of the United States where tobacco farming is on the decline, a new business, swine production, is flourishing. In the past nine years, North Carolina's small independent pig farms were taken over by large industrial operations, and North Carolina has become the nation's second leading producer of pork. The industry expanded so rapidly that regulations lagged (Pressley, 1999). The first major concern arose from the process of waste management that included land application as fertilizer. The application rates were in excess of crop uptake and consequently increased the levels of nitrogen, phosphorus, and ammonia in soils and surface organic debris, from where they could be leached or eroded into waterways. The second major concern stemmed directly from the waste lagoons. During Hurricanes Bonnie (1998), Dennis (1999), and Floyd (1999), the waste lagoons overflowed or were submerged in flooded rivers.

Contaminated water is one of the primary concerns of residents of the southeastern coast of the United States. As animal-waste lagoons flooded, so did wastewater treatment plants and septic systems. Along with the threat of increased nitrates in the water, there were rotting animal carcasses, estimates of 100,000 dead hogs, 500,000 dead turkeys, and 2 million dead chickens, threatening the water supply (USGS, 1999c). Scientists will continue to collect water samples to analyze for nutrients, bacteria, pesticides, and metals before drawing any conclusions about the extent of the damage, possible long-term effects, restoration, and future prevention methods (USGS, 1999c). In all cases, the success of these efforts depends on an understanding of the watershed and groundwater aquifer and on the ability to design workable remediation and operational programs to protect water resources. In the wake of these disasters, as part of the recovery process, an emphasis is being placed on regulations and effective environmental protection.