Hog poop. There are over 10 million hogs in NC, and almost all of their waste is piped into large open air lagoons and then sprayed onto fields where it runs off into water, sends pathogens into the air, and creates an unbearable stench.

The state put a 3 year moratorium on new or expanded lagoons in 1997, and then extended it several times. It is set to expire this September. In 2006 a study completed by NC State University, as part of an agreement between the state and Smithfield Foods, found that there were a number of innovative technologies that could manage the waste and meet environmental performance standards. Based on the assumptions used in the report, none were deemed economically viable for the industry.

And so we stay stalled. Being stalled isn’t so bad for the industry, which isn’t really looking to expand anyway, but it is bad for the environment and for the people living near hog farms and sprayfields. (To get a sense of just how bad, watch this 15 minute video from the NC Environmental Justice Network).

Quite a number of bills to deal with hog waste have been filed this year – two more were introduced this week – and it seems like a good opportunity to lay them out and take a look at what does what.

One way to continue to not deal with the problem would be to simply extend the moratorium on new hog waste lagoons for another three years, as a bill by Rep. Dewey Hill (Columbus-D) - H275, Extend Moratorium on Swine Farms - would do. This bill has passed the House Agriculture committee, which is chaired by Rep. Hill himself.

On the other end of the spectrum is a bill filed this week by Rep. Earl Jones (Guilford-D), along with Rep. Pricey Harrison (Guilford-D) and Paul Luebke (Durham-D) - H1822, Phase Out Lagoon and Sprayfield Systems. This bill calls for getting rid of all existing lagoons by 2012, requiring farmers to convert to systems that meet environmental performance standards. It is also important to note that there are some NC groups that want to see an end to industrial-scale Confined Animal Feeding Operations (CAFOs) all together, and a reverting to pasture systems to ensure humane treatment of animals, reduce antibiotic use and support small farmers.

Then there are three bills which take a more market-stimulation approach by providing financial incentives to farmers to convert their lagoons to better systems. They all have the same name, but there are some important differences. The most comprehensive of the bills is one filed by Rep. Carolyn Justice (Pender-R), along with 33 co-sponsors - H1115, Swine Farm Environmental Performance Standards/Funds. H1115 does four main things: (1) makes the ban on new lagoons permanent and requires any new or expanded hog waste systems to meet certain cleaner environmental standards; (2) provides grants to farmers who convert their lagoons to a cleaner waste management technology; (3) ensures against abandoned lagoons by setting up a hog credit scheme; and (4) provides for well water testing and emergency drinking water for residents whose wells might be contaminated.

Sen. Charlie Albertson (Duplin-D), with 37 co-sponsors, introduced a slimmer version of Justice’s bill - S1465, Swine Farm Env. Performance Standards/Funds - and Rep. Dewey Hill (Columbus-D) introduced a companion in the House, H1254. The Albertson/Hill bill essentially incorporates the first two parts of Justice’s bill – the permanent moratorium on new lagoons and the grant program for farmers – but does not include the protection against abandoned lagoons or the community drinking water fund, which are critical pieces for environmental justice groups and community groups living near hog farms. This week a version of S1465 passed the Senate, and the funding component was taken out and put into a new bill S173, Swine Farm Env. Performance Standards/Funds.

There are also some ancillary hog bills out there. H1504, Certain Limited Permitting for Swine Farms, introduced this week by Rep. William Wainwright (Craven-D) would require the state to issue a permit for a new lagoon if the farmer was prevented from building their lagoon by a local regulation before the state moratorium took effect. And then there are two bills by Rep. Russell Tucker (Duplin-D) that address waste to energy. H1052, Hog Farms/Methane Gas and H1264, Cost Sharing Tied to Energy At Swine Farms. The first, H1052, would require utilities to purchase hog waste generated from methane gas at hog lagoons. H1264 would provide grants for hog waste technologies that reduce greenhouse gasses (such as methane) or produce energy. While these bills seem good on their surface, neither bill ties the energy production to any environmentally superior technology – in other words they allow polluting lagoons to profit from energy production.

Advocates have been working hard for years on finding an acceptable solution to the state’s hog waste problems. (For more background on the hog issue click here). It seems there might be momentum this year to do something more than extend the moratorium again, yet just what comes out the other end of the legislative process remains to be seen. We will keep you updated on hog waste happenings down at the legislature.

Close, but no cigar.

On Monday night, Jon Stewart, host of the nightly "news" show, The Daily Show, had Senator John Kerry on to promote his new book, This Moment on Earth.

Senator Kerry describes his book, noting it's about more than just global warming, it also discusses 'toxins, chemicals, cancer, and what we're doing to our water.' Senator Kerry then asks Jon Stewart if he is familiar with the Riverkeepers - and Jon replies "Sure...Kennedy's the Riverkeeper." Nice work Jon!

Senator Kerry then tells a story of a 67-year old marine living in North Carolina who went fishing and developed leisons on his hands and how other fishermen developed memory loss. He continues that these citizens discovered the problem was a result of massive amounts of hog waste running into the rivers. Nice work Senator Kerry!

What Senator Kerry failed to mention though, is that the 67-year old veteran is our own Rick Dove! And that Rick Dove later became the first Riverkeeper in North Carolina, with the Neuse River Foundation. The Neuse River Foundation came so close...but no cigar: they were really close to being mentioned by name on The Daily Show.

To view the segment, click here. The piece on Rick Dove is about 4 minutes into the program.

Our kudos still go out to The Daily Show and to Senator Kerry for giving the issue air time, despite Senator Kerry not mentioning our NC hero's name nor including pictures in his book (sorry Jon).

Factory Hog Farms, who hasn't heard about them? And who doesn't know about the problems associated with them: polluted waters, foul air, and a corporate killing machine?

One problem that doesn't get into the news as much though is that of the personal stories of individuals living next to the hog factories. Specifically the extent to which health and day-to-day life is affected by nearby open lagoons and factory farms.

On Tuesday, citizens from across eastern NC (pdf) came up to Raleigh to talk to their legislators about their stories: how they can't walk outside without the odor from hog lagoons hitting them and forcing them to run from the car to their house; how they can't enjoy a glass of sweet tea on their front porch; how they can't open the windows in their non-air conditioned houses in the summer; and how children attending schools near hog factory farms (pdf) are facing increased rates of asthma.

While in Raleigh, these citizens along with the NC Environmental Justice Network (NCEJN), Environmental Defense, Neuse River Foundation and other organizations asked legislators to support the following points:

1) a permanent ban on lagoons and sprayfields;

2) an incentive based program that will implement cleaner technologies on farms; and

3) a community well water mitigation program for citizens who live in close proximity to farms and can no longer drink their well water.

These individuals and organizations said on Tuesday that a moratorium is not enough. That in order to make real progress on this issue (pdf) legislators need to take action on the above points. As Gary Grant, NCEJN, noted "the only way to help restore the health of the people and communities, and the environment is to ban this type of waste disposal permanently."

Have you seen the December issue of Rolling Stone?

If so, then the above photo may look familiar. We all know that the environmental movement is hip. But, many of us couldn't have imagined that we'd be hip enough for Rolling Stone. It's true, it's true - The December issue of the Rolling Stone featured an article on one of our issues: the pork industry.

Thanks to many of us being addicted to the web, the story is now online. So if you haven’t already you can check it out for yourself. Because of our state's enormous hog population North Carolina in particular is highlighted in this article, giving a special shout-out to one of our affiliates: the Neuse River Foundation.

Let us know what you think.

According to the News & Observer, Hurricane Ernesto is costing NC farmers millions of dollars:

Tropical Storm Ernesto's slow, soggy pass over Eastern North Carolina left about $50 million in crop damage and dozens of hog farm lagoons brimming with wastewater, state officials said Tuesday.

In addition:

The storm dumped more than a foot of rain in some areas, pushing floodwater into fields and livestock and poultry operations. An estimated 44,000 chickens and turkeys drowned in Duplin County where farmers reported about $11.5 million in total crop damage.

The hurricane season brings NC much needed rain but it also tends to bring us environmental nightmares. Agricultural runoff, breaches of hog lagoons, dead livestock...none of it is a pretty picture.

Don't you think it's time our Legislators did more than just pray that no hurricanes hit our state? Don't our farmers, our communities and our environment deserve a more dedicated source of protection? Hurricane season is inevitable...how do you think our Legislators should be preparing for next year?