Alliance for a Responsible Swine Industry (ARSI), working through its Coastal Carolina Riverwatch program (see "About Us), is a citizen volunteer grassroots group dedicated to restoring and protecting all the rivers of eastern North Carolina and the communities they serve. One important aspect of Coastal Carolina Riverwatch's work is preventing the pollution and other harmful impacts from animal factories. These factories, also known as CAFOs (Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations), produce swine, chickens and turkeys in a factory like setting. Conditions are such that these animals are denied the natural surroundings and care that they were once afforded on traditional family farms.
Animal factory operations have been shown to negatively impact communities, pollute our rivers, creeks, streams and wetlands, kill fish, contaminate ground water, as well produce putrid odors and gasses that can be hazardous to breathe. Human health problems have been related to their operations.
Our outreach is not limited to CAFOs. It extends to preventing all forms of pollution to rivers within North Carolina's cosatal plain.
Our mission is to educate the public and responsibly seek solutions to end the devasting impacts of all forms of river pollution.