Five environmental and animal welfare groups sued the US Environmental Protection Agency August 28, 2013, for dropping a proposed rule that would have collected data on large livestock feeding operations.

The groups, the Center for Food Safety, Environmental Integrity Project, Food & Water Watch, Humane Society, and Iowa Citizens for Community Improvement said that EPA's proposed rule was needed to control pollution under the Clean Water Act.

EPA initially published the rule in October 2011, but then withdrew it July 20, 2012.

There are estimated to be more than 20,000 concentrated animal feeding operations in the US. Livestock groups have opposed regulations on pollution discharged from those facilities.

• "EPA Sued for Scrapping Livestock Data Collection," [2] Associated Press, August 28, 2013, by David Pitt.