At a Glance

NOAA said this year's Gulf of Mexico dead zone is the biggestever measured and is roughly the size of New Jersey. Last year, the United States Geological Survey said approximately 1.15 million metric tons of nitrogen pollutionoriginating from farms flowed into the Gulf of Mexico.

America's voracious appetite formeat is being blamed as one of the greatest contributors to the world's largest "dead zone" that now lies in the Gulf ofMexico.

According to a , which is chaired by former California congressman Henry Waxman, runoff from farms loaded with phosphorus and other toxins that come from manure and fertilizer has created toxic algae blooms that lead to oxygen-deprived dead zonesare becoming all too common from the Great Lakes to Chesapeake Bay.

This week,the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration said this year's Gulf of Mexico dead zone and covers 8,776 square miles — an area the size of New Jersey.

"This massive dead zone shows that current efforts from States and the Feds ," said Matt Rota, Senior Policy Director forGulf Restoration Network. "Study after study has shown that everyone from EPA to state environmental departments need to step up their game. Unfortunately, this hasn't happened. In fact, we just see the dead zone growing bigger and bigger."

The Gulf dead zone forms each year when nitrogen-rich pollution flows from fields (mostly soy and corn fields used to feed livestock) into streams and rivers and ultimately into the Mississippi River. When the pollutants reach the Gulf, they form toxicalgae blooms that decompose and choke off oxygen to marine life.

"Most of the nitrogen and phosphorus that drives this problem ," former NOAA scientist and professor of environment and sustainability at the University of Michigan Don Scavia told NPR. "It's coming from agriculture."

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Every year, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration tasks scientists with measuring the dead zone in the Gulf of Mexico. This year's map, based on that data, shows a zone the collective size of New Jersey.

(NOAA)

Last year, the United States Geological Survey said approximately originating from farms flowed into the Gulf of Mexico.

"As demand for meat grows, America's last native grassland prairies are being destroyed to make room for new industrial fields that exacerbate water pollution across the Heartland and take aheavy toll on the climate," said the release.

According to the report, the organization "mapped the meat and feed companies' extensive infrastructure, including grain silos, feed mixing facilities, feedlotsand slaughterhouses, and overlaid the maps with data showing both natural grassland clearance for corn and soy, and water nitrate concentrations linked to fertilizerpollution."

Arkansas-based Tyson Foods,the nation's largest supplier of beef, chicken and pork, was identified by Mighty Earth as the "pinnacle" of the large agribusinesses that comprise America’s meat industry, which is growing by the year.

In 2015, the , 40 billion pounds of chicken and 25 billion pounds of pork. Projected production for 2018, according to the USDA, is 27 billion pounds for beef, 48 billion for chicken and 26 billion for pork.

According to the report, Tyson produces one out of every five pounds of meat produced in the U.S. and owns brands like Jimmy Dean, Hillshire Farm, Ball Parkand Sara Lee. They also sell to fast food retailers like McDonald's.

The report also foundTyson is the only meat company with major processing facilities in each of the states listed by the USGS as contributing the highest levels of pollution to the Gulf. In addition, it foundTyson’s top feed suppliers are behind the bulk of grassland prairie clearance, which dramatically magnifies the impacts of fertilizer pollution.

Caroline Ahn, manager of external communication for Tyson, told weather.com the report is misleading.

"We share this group's concern about the environment but disagree with its misleading characterization of our company," Ahn said in an email. "Tyson Foods is not in the business of raising the crops, and we own very few livestock farms. Instead, we depend on thousands of independent farmers to raise our chickens or sell us their cattle or hogs.We work closely with our partners from farm-to-fork to identify and deploy new technologies designed to better protect the environment, our workforceand the communities we serve."

Ahn said the livestock and poultry industry is a major buyer of grain for feed but notes Mighty Earth's report "fails to address that a large percentage of corn raised in the U.S. is used for biofuel and a significant portion is used for human consumption."

"We're committed to the environment. That's why we publicly disclose our environmental efforts and recently announced that we're collaborating with the World Resources Institute to develop goals for improving our environmental footprint," Ahn said. "We also plan to announce our collaboration with other third-party organizations that will work with us to set additional science-based targets. These efforts are part of our comprehensive, holistic approach to sustainabilitythat is focused on healthier animals, healthier environment, healthier workforce, healthier communitiesand healthier food."

Ahn said Tyson's environmental commitment also includes an environmental management system at each of their facilities designed to enable more sustainable operations, continued focus on more recycling and long-term participation in EPA’s SmartWay energy conservation program.

"Tyson Foods is focused on continuous improvement," she said. "We believe real change will come from a coalition of leaders from all parts of the supply chain, research institutions and advocacy groups to create an operating approach that protects resources, supports farmersand feeds America."

Mighty Earth notedit's not only the big industries that should play a key role in ensuring that suppliers are acting responsibly but also trusted supermarket and restaurant brands that sell meat to theconsumer.

"Consumers have a right to know where their food comes from and how it was produced," the report notes. "(Consumers) can improve the system by calling on companies like Tyson to lead the way towards cleaner meat.

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Boats docked at Central Marine in Stuart, Fla., are surrounded by blue green algae, Wednesday, June 29, 2016. ( Greg Lovett/The Palm Beach Post via AP)