North Carolina Takes Another Step Forward to Cleaner Hog Farming

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact:

Jane Preyer, 919-881-2912 or 919-740-6727 (cell)

(Raleigh, NC - July 19, 2007) The NC House Environment and Natural Resources Committee today endorsed Senate Bill 1465, which sets the stage for replacing hog lagoons with cleaner systems for treating waste.  The House Agriculture Committee approved the bill yesterday.  The following statement may be attributed to Jane Preyer, director of the NC Office of Environmental Defense.

“The committees’ approval breaks the log jam that has blocked progress toward resolution of the hog waste problem.  The bill bans lagoons on new farms, permanently establishes health and environmental standards, and will help reduce the cost of cleaner systems.  These are provisions that deserve applause. 

“Despite its merits, the bill has shortcomings.  There’s a lot more work to be done.  Hog waste is a renewable energy source that shows solid potential.  However, if public money is spent to help generate energy from waste, then the systems should meet health and environmental standards.  The General Assembly must keep a close eye on how hog waste is used to produce electricity.

“This bill gives North Carolina the ability to focus on reducing the cost of new, cleaner systems and creating markets for their byproducts so that lagoons are no longer the treatment technology of choice.  Failing or aging lagoons should represent an opportunity for producers to invest in cleaner systems, not lagoon replacement.”