North Carolina Hog Vigil
By Heather Jacobs, Pamlico-Tar Riverkeeper and Larry Baldwin, Lower Neuse Riverkeeper

»There are 10 million hogs in North Carolina being raised “industrial style.” Each day, those 10 million hogs produce the equivalent waste of 100 million people. That’s all the citizens in North Carolina, California, New York, Pennsylvania, Texas, New Hampshire and North Dakota combined.

The hog industry uses an outhouse system of waste disposal. Fecal waste, urine and wash-down water from swine operations are stored in open waste pits called “lagoons” (sorry no bathing beauties anywhere near these lagoons). When the waste pits fill up, the industrial swine producer sprays the untreated waste onto fields under the pretext of growing crops. But this waste runs off fields directly to our wetlands, streams, creeks and rivers.

The Pamlico-Tar River watershed is home to approximately 500,000 hogs, and in the Neuse watershed the number is two million hogs. These factories apply waste from the state’s 2,300 waste lagoons to the ground in a liquid form under the pretext of raising crops. The runoff pollutes our waters and creates a substantial human health risk to our communities.

The fight to rid the state of these open cesspools dates back to the early 1990s when fish began dying by the billions (see Fish Able, the spring 2007 issue of Waterkeeper). Today the fight continues.

On June 19, North Carolina Waterkeepers and a broad coalition of religious, environmental and labor organizations brought the fight to the lawn of the state General Assembly. More than 125 people pitched camp in front of the legislative buildings in the state capital of Raleigh. We had simple demands: legislation to permanently ban hog waste lagoons and sprayfields, and safe drinking water for people whose groundwater has been contaminated by hog waste. We stayed 51 hours, for the entire legislative session. We brought with us a model of a hog factory with a working lagoon and 40 gallons of real hog waste. When the state discovered that we planned to have hog waste on the lawn, they sent a security official who informed us that if we spilled even one drop, it would be considered hazardous waste. The HazMat team would be called in to do an emergency cleanup and we would be fined. He provided no answer when asked why hog waste that is called fertilizer elsewhere is considered hazardous material in Raleigh.

The vigil didn’t accomplish all of our policy goals. Back-room deals lead to weak legislation that will essentially allow waste lagoons to remain Waterkeepers and community groups viewed the legislation as a promise unfulfilled. Governor Easley himself has gone back on a promise he made while campaigning for office. Seven years ago he went on record to say that he would rid the state of lagoons and sprayfields within five years. But he was one of the main brokers of a deal that will allow lagoons and sprayfields to remain in existence for years to come.

The work of the North Carolina Waterkeepers and our broad coalition of community-based activists is far from over. We won’t stop until this archaic, outdated and destructive form of animal waste disposal is a thing of the past. w

A Return to Our Roots
In the piedmont region of North Carolina, a silent revolution is growing. Within an hour of the hustle and bustle of Raleigh, farmers are recognizing the possibilities of returning to the ‘small is beautiful’ way of farming and community economics.

On his 73 acres, Mike Jones takes care of 200 head of hogs. This hog farm is a far cry from the industrial animal operations that have become the norm of today. Sows, with their piglets by their side, have room to roam, root, graze and, simply, act like pigs. The result? Healthy animals that are sold to Whole Foods as local, organic meat for 20 cents per pound more than industrially-produced hogs. While Mike can’t live on his hog farm alone, farmers across the state are turning back to sustainable farming.

Air Force
Despite setbacks in the North Carolina state legislature, the federal Clean Water Act remains a strong tool. The Neuse and Pamlico-Tar Riverkeepers have stepped up efforts to catch illegal hog waste discharges through aerial patrols and on-the-ground water monitoring. This work is dependant on a team of 20 volunteers who have learned the tricks of aerial photography and water sampling. Since June, the Neuse and Pamlico-Tar Riverkeepers have flown more than a dozen sorties with volunteers, capturing several Clean Water Act violations that we will pursue.