EDF Says New Health Data On Hog Factories Demands Solutions

Citing a new analysis by the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Resources (DHHR) as more evidence of the damage hog factories are doing to public health and the environment, the North Carolina Environmental Defense Fund (NCEDF) today called again upon Governor Hunt and the legislature to step up to the plate and protect North Carolinians. NCEDF called for a 5 point solutions package to solve hog waste problems once and for all.

“The DHHR study confirms, once again, that the state simply cannot afford to delay any longer a solution to the state’s devastating health and environmental impacts from factory hog farms. We have enough research that tells us that 10 million hogs, over 4,000 hog lagoons and countless more sprayfields are a serious risk to people and the environment in eastern North Carolina,” said Jane Preyer, NCEDF director. “With his proposal to phase out hog lagoons and sprayfields and convert them to improved technologies, Governor Hunt has stepped forward and set the stage for real reform, but only if the legislature puts the proposals into action now.”

“Some modest progress has been made in dealing with hog waste problems, but the problems are far from solved, as this report clearly shows. In fact, as things stand now, the moratorium on building new hog operations will end in 116 days, and North Carolina will be no further to requiring clean up of this industry than we were a year ago,” said NCEDF attorney Dan Whittle.

NCEDF urged that 5 key solutions be enacted by the 1999 North Carolina legislature.

• Adopt permanent environmental and health-based performance standards by December, 1999 for new and existing operations, using the goals defined by the General Assembly in HB 1480 last year.
• Maintain the moratorium on construction of new or expanded hog operations until all existing operations have been converted to technologies that meet these standards, by no later than 2006.
• Strengthen the closure standards for abandoned lagoons and require that all abandoned lagoons be cleaned and closed properly within two years. Reward companies that commit to early closure with priority for state cost share funding.
• Require that hog growers and corporate integrators (owners of the hogs) share responsibility and liability for complying with environmental laws.
• While new technologies are being developed and installed on existing operations, direct the state to take several inexpensive, short-term steps (commonly used in other states) to reduce impacts of unacceptable odors and air emissions of ammonia from hog operations.

“It’s time we stopped sacrificing the health and welfare of rural North Carolinians,” Preyer said. “This new analysis adds more alarming evidence that factory hog farms endanger neighbors and the environment, coming just months after State Health Director Dennis McBride concluded that odor from factory hog farms is a threat to public health.”

For more information:
Visit EDF’s website www.hogwatch.org, a clearinghouse and advocacy site focused on environmental threats from factory farming in the U.S.