Hogs in Our Future

[contact your legislators!] Hog Farms and North Carolina's Future

North Carolina is one of the top hog producers in the nation, with around ten million hogs on farms scattered throughout the state. In fact, North Carolina has more hogs than people. The hog industry is obviously an important part of the state's economy. However, hog waste is a major problem, one that poses serious dangers to public health and the environment.

The swine industry's traditional method of handling hog waste has been placing it in "lagoons," which are basically massive open-air pools full of animal waste. These pools of waste release ammonia and other pollutants into the air as the waste breaks down. While this alone is bad enough for the environment, the problems don't stop there. Hog lagoons have enormous potential for leakage and overflow, and such environmental disasters have already occurred.

In 1995, the Ocean View Farms lagoon in Onslow County overflowed, releasing millions of gallons of hog waste into the New River. This overflow polluted the entire river, putting public health at risk by contaminating drinking water and killing native fish populations. In 1999, Hurricane Floyd hit North Carolina, causing flooding and more lagoon overflow. Because these waste pools are open to the air, they remain likely to flood and overflow, with no protection for nearby groundwater, lakes, or rivers.

Another traditional method of dealing with hog waste are sprayfields. This method, usually employed in conjunction with lagoons, involves spraying excess hog waste onto agricultural fields for fertilizer. While this may seem to be a better way of dealing with the problem, sprayfields are both inadequate and hazardous to public health. Even when used in moderation, sprayfields create harmful runoff, allowing hog waste to enter local lakes, streams, and groundwater, and thus the public water supply. Hog lagoons and sprayfields are an environmental and health disaster waiting to happen, and it may just a matter of time until another accident pollutes our waters and land.

Despite the clear risk that hog lagoons and sprayfields pose, the swine industry is pushing for the moratorium on construction to sunset. Various bills have been proposed to regulate the industry and call for more environmentally sound ways of dealing with hog waste. The moratorium expires in August, and it is vital that the General Assembly pass a strong bill this session. We need strong environmental standards for hog farms, making sure they deal with waste in a responsible and reasonable way. The time to act is now. Please support a strong hog farm bill.