NC Senate Creates Loophole for Polluting Hog Farms

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
 
CONTACT:
Dr. Joe Rudek, 919-881-2913
Georgette Shepherd, 919-880-8033
 
(Raleigh, NC - July 10, 2008) The NC Senate today passed H 822, a bill that guts 1995 set back requirements for hog houses that were adopted to protect neighbors from odor and air and water pollution. Earlier this week the bill was rushed though a Senate committee without sufficient opportunity for the public to comment. The bill now goes to the NC House. Among other measures, H 822 would bypass the requirement that hog producers must have the consent of neighboring property owners or a new permit before fundamentally changing the nature of their hog operation. 
 
The following statement may be attributed to Joe Rudek, senior scientist with Environmental Defense Fund:
 
“This bill fails to respect the rights and health and well being of citizens living close to hog farms. The public should have the same opportunity as pork producers and senators to study this bill and comment on the implications for rural communities. This bill will create a loophole that will perpetuate outmoded ways of hog farming on the oldest hog farms, rather than transitioning swine production facilities to technologies more protective of public health.”
 

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