Environmental Defense Calls For Phase Out Of Hog Lagoons

(24 July 2002-Raleigh)  North Carolina Environmental Defense today called for Gov. Mike Easley, Attorney General Roy Cooper and the General Assembly to take immediate action to ensure full implementation of the Smithfield Agreement on hog farms and to also mandate phase out of open-air lagoons on all other hog farms in the state as well.

“On the two-year anniversary of the Smithfield Agreement, negotiated when Gov. Easley served as Attorney General, it is appropriate to recall what was expected — a two-year report identifying alternative technologies to lagoons.  By the five-year anniversary, Smithfield Foods and Premium Standard Farms were to replace hog waste lagoons on company-owned factory farms with environmentally superior technology,” said Jane Preyer, director of North Carolina Environmental Defense.  “Unfortunately, implementation of the agreement already appears to be a year behind schedule.”

“It is time to set a firm deadline for identifying waste management technologies that are superior to the lagoon and sprayfield system.  The Governor and Attorney General should challenge researchers to complete identification of alternative technologies within the next year.  They should require Smithfield and Premium Standard Farms to fulfill their promises and immediately begin to convert lagoons as soon as the very first superior technology is identified,” said Preyer.

“The Smithfield Agreement acknowledges that open-air hog lagoons pollute the state’s air and water supplies, threaten the health of citizens and damage the quality of life in rural communities,” said Daniel Whittle, an attorney for North Carolina Environmental Defense.  “If fully implemented, this agreement should set in motion a process to eliminate all hog lagoons in North Carolina once and for all.  The key is full and timely implementation.  So far, there have been multiple delays and wavering commitments.”

“The agreement with Smithfield Foods and Premium Standard Farms applies only to the companies’ farms.  There are more than 2,000 other farms that use lagoons, most of them under contract with these companies to raise company-owned hogs.  To fully protect the health of citizens, the General Assembly should pass legislation requiring all the state’s regulated hog farms to convert to new technologies by 2006,” said Whittle.