A legal practice known as “manifesting” allows large factory farms to transfer manure to smaller, unregulated farms, circumventing federal water pollution permits. This regulatory loophole, combined with patchy state enforcement, leaves vast quantities of waste unaccounted for and contributes significantly to water contamination. Some operations create complex corporate structures to “self-manifest” waste, further obscuring accountability for pollution. Critical data on manure transfers is often withheld from the public as confidential business information, hindering oversight. Despite generating waste comparable to major cities, Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations (CAFOs) face minimal regulatory accountability compared to other industrial sectors. In the vast agricultural landscapes of America, a regulatory…