Over 80 organizations, including the Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS), have urged federal agencies to take emergency measures to address nitrate contamination in drinking water and waterways caused by industrial agriculture. The letter, sent to EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin and HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., highlights health risks to the general public, including pregnant women and newborns.
“Nitrate in drinking water is a serious public health problem linked to cancer and other health impacts, and we know agricultural practices like excessive fertilizer use and poor manure management are largely responsible,” said Dr. Stacy Woods, research director for UCS’s Food and Environment Program and co-author of the letter. “The federal government must act now to curb nitrate pollution and safeguard our communities.”
The letter emphasizes that rural communities are particularly affected because intensive farming practices are a primary source of nitrate contamination in groundwater. The problem extends beyond rural areas, as runoff from farms can affect downstream communities and urban centers. A recent report cited in the letter indicates that approximately one in five Americans drink water with elevated nitrate levels.
The letter calls on the EPA and HHS to use public health emergency authorities to identify and eliminate nitrate pollution sources and to provide funding for communities to reduce nitrate levels in finished drinking water
According to the letter, nitrate exposure can be harmful at levels below the current federal safety threshold. It links consumption of nitrate-contaminated water to increased risks of colorectal, ovarian, bladder and other cancers, as well as adverse birth outcomes including premature delivery and central nervous system conditions such as spina bifida.
The letter calls on the EPA and HHS to use public health emergency authorities to identify and eliminate nitrate pollution sources and to provide funding for communities to reduce nitrate levels in finished drinking water.
Iowa was highlighted as an area of particular concern. Both public water systems and private wells in the state have recorded high nitrate levels, and the EPA has not yet responded to a 2024 petition requesting emergency action under the Safe Drinking Water Act. The letter asks the EPA to act on the petition, restrict expansion of intensive agricultural practices in affected areas, and examine state regulatory oversight.
A recent UCS report noted that up to half of the nitrogen fertilizer applied to domestic corn and soybean crops may be unnecessary because crops cannot absorb the excess. Beyond human health impacts, fertilizer overapplication contributes to fish deaths, disruption of Gulf of Mexico fisheries, economic costs for farmers, and greenhouse gas emissions equivalent to up to 14 million gas-powered vehicles annually.
