The Environmental Protection Agency

intends to update its water pollution rules for slaughterhouses for the first time in nearly 20 years, the agency announced on Wednesday, following a lawsuit from environmental groups arguing current standards are too weak. Under the U.S. Clean Water Act, the EPA regulates wastewater discharge from meat and poultry plants into nearby lakes and streams. Neighboring communities have increasingly complained that the discharges have dirtied their environment and drinking water. Slaughterhouses are the top emitting industry of phosphorus.