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Factory Hog Farms are a huge problem in eastern North Carolina. Some of the well-known reasons are polluted waters and foul air. One problem, that doesn't get into the news as much, is the impact of factory hog farms on people living next to them. Their health and day-to-day life are affected by nearby open hog lagoons .

On February 20th, citizens from across eastern NC came to Raleigh to tell legislators their stories. One woman talked about how every time she comes home she cracks the window in her car to see how bad the stench is to decide if she can walk or has to run from the car to her front door. Numerous individuals told of how they can’t enjoy their front porch, outdoor barbeques, or even open the windows in their homes on most days because the odor is so strong. A professor from Chapel Hill told of a recent study that discovered children attending schools near hog factory farms are facing increased rates of asthma. These are just a few of the stories of what citizens in eastern NC deal with on a day-to-day basis.

Back in 1997, the NC General Assembly passed a moratorium on building any new hog waste lagoons. Another temporary extension of the moratorium on new lagoons will do nothing to solve the problem that communities are facing now with existing lagoons.

Farmers need incentives to implement alternative technologies, communities need funds to clean up their contaminated water, and we need to permanently ban the lagoon and sprayfield system. HB 1115, North Carolina Swine Farm Environmental Performance Standards/Funds Act, does this.

It’s high time for change to occur. Your Legislator needs to hear from you, their constituent, that this issue matters. Our fellow citizens deserve better than what these factory hog farms are giving them. Please take a minute today and ask your legislator to support HB 1115, North Carolina Swine Farm Environmental Performance Standards/Funds Act.

For more information on this issue or to view a short video on the problem, click here.