U.S. Water News Online
GREENVILLE, N.C. -- Environmental protections at about 275 hog farms will get a boost under a settlement announced between a hog producer and environmental groups that sued two hog farms in 2001, according to a news release.
Two hog farms operated in Jones County by Murphy-Brown, a subsidiary of Smithfield Foods Inc., were sued by Waterkeeper Alliance, Neuse River Foundation, and Lower Neuse Riverkeeper, which contended that the hog farms routinely disposed of waste in a manner that violated federal laws and threatened human health.
With 10.1 million swine, North Carolina is the second-largest pork producer in the nation. The farms produce large amounts of manure and urine, which are flushed from barns into open-air waste ponds and later applied to fields as fertilizer. The lagoons have polluted waterways when they flooded and angered neighbors concerned about their health.
Smithfield fought unsuccessfully to have the lawsuit thrown out. In 2001, a federal judge ruled that the environmental groups could pursue their claims.
Under the settlement, Murphy-Brown will use a computer system to monitor weather to help prevent the spraying of fertilizer before, during and immediately after rain storms. The agreement also calls for the farms to use automatic devices to shut down spraying when winds exceed 15 mph.
Murphy-Brown also will pay for programs to help identify and prevent potential lagoon risks to groundwater as well as increase stream buffers and wetlands to protect public waterways, the release said.
"Over time, we will see improvement in both groundwater and surface water quality as a result of this settlement,'' said Steve Fleischli, executive director of New York-based Waterkeeper Alliance, told The News & Observer of Raleigh. "Our focus will now turn to convincing the rest of the industry to follow Smithfield's lead.''
Smithfield Foods, of Smithfield, Va., estimates the cost at several million dollars.
"If you looked at Smithfield and our behavior on Murphy-Brown farms, you've seen a series of environmental improvements and efficiencies,'' said Dennis Treacy, vice president of environmental and corporate affairs for the company. "This is just the next logical step.''
The settlement was filed in U.S. District Court in Greenville and is subject to review by the U.S. Justice Department and approval by the court.
On another front, researchers are devising alternatives for hog waste disposal.
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