USGS Study Shows That Pollution from Hog and Poultry Operations has Significant Impacts on North Carolina’s Waterways

Posted on June 23 2015 by Maia Raposo

Today, the United States Geological Survey (USGS) released a thorough, multi-yearstudy addressing impacts from concentrated animal feeding operations (CAFOs) on water quality in North Carolina. The results of the study, conducted cooperatively with NC Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), show yet again that industrial swine and poultry operations are polluting our waterways.

DENR has recently been dismissive of other peer-reviewed scientific evidenceof pollution from these facilities, calling the results “inconclusive.” Now, with their own evidence in hand, it is time for state officials to step-up and enforce the law to prevent illegal discharges of pollution into North Carolina’s waterways.

It is also abundantly clear that the antiquated lagoon and sprayfield system of waste disposal is hazardous to North Carolina’s waters, which residents and the economy depend on for drinking water, recreation, and tourism. The time for this industry to modernize waste management is long overdue. The often multi-national corporations that dictate the practices of local contract growers should invest in our communities by adopting superior waste treatment technologies, treating animal waste the same as we do human waste.

Contacts:

Gray Jernigan | Waterkeeper Alliance | gjernigan@waterkeeper.org | 919.839.6011