Hogging the Land?

The hog waste adds up to almost 19 million tons a year, leading to a series of ecological problems that have sparked a heated debate between the pork industry and environmentalists.

At the center of the controversy is the pollution caused by the current methods of feeding hogs and disposing of the waste, which environmentalists believe is destroying the state's air and water.

But industry officials say hog farming is one of the most heavily regulated segments in agriculture and operates under the strictest guidelines.

Most of the state's hog farms are located between the coast and Interstate 95.

They use a system of waste lagoons and sprayfields to dispose of hog waste. And environmentalists believe this pollutes the state's air and water.

Waste lagoons are open-air pits where hog waste is stored for up to six months before it is pumped to sprayfields, which are nearby lands where the waste is dispersed onto crops and grasses to be absorbed.

According to information from Hog Watch, an environmental advocacy group, the problems associated with hog farm pollution start with the production of grain to feed the hogs.

This grain contains nitrogen and phosphorous, which the hogs are unable to break down. The hogs excrete a large amount of this nitrogen and phosphorous into the soil, air and water.

A Sampson County research study that started in 1978 has shown increasing amounts of nitrogen ammonia in the rainfall of Sampson County.

Environmentalists point to these rising ammonia levels as proof that hog farms pollute the state.

But environmentalists say waste lagoons and spray fields pose a bigger threat than hog feed.

North Carolina has more than 4,600 lagoons. If these lagoons are not monitored carefully, they can overflow or develop leaks, allowing waste to seep into the ground and contaminate both drinking water and groundwater.

As the lagoons fill up, the waste is sprayed onto fields. These sprayfields contain plants to absorb the waste, but many times the amount sprayed is too large for the crops to absorb.

The excess waste then can wash off into nearby streams and rivers.

But sometimes the waste never makes it to the sprayfield.

In 1995, an Onslow County lagoon burst, spilling 22 million gallons of waste into the New River.

And in 1999, Hurricane Floyd struck eastern North Carolina, dumping record rainfall and causing lagoons to overflow.

Tripp Pittman, Clean Water Campaign coordinator for the N.C. Sierra Club, said hog farms pose several problems to North Carolina, including pollution of air and groundwater. "There are a number of environmental, public health and socioeconomic risks posed by the current method of disposing of waste from hogs."

He also said many of the affected areas are rural communities with large black populations.

A press release issued by North Carolina-based Smithfield Foods, the world's largest pork producer, stated that the hog industry provides nearly 45,000 full-time jobs in the state and provides millions of people with safe, nutritious and economical pork products.

The press release also states that every one of its hog farms uses state-of-the-art waste disposal technologies and has a legal permit from an appropriate government agency.

But Pittman said he still believes the hog industry is polluting North Carolina and that sustainable solutions need to be found.

There are a number of potential solutions currently being tested.

Mike Williams, N.C. State University director of the Animal and Poultry Waste Management Center, is leading the search to find alternative methods of waste disposal.

His research is being funded by the Smithfield Agreement, an agreement between Smithfield Foods and the state attorney general's office. Under this agreement, Smithfield Foods is to provide $65 million to research new ways to dispose of hog waste, and $15 million of this money will directly fund Williams' research.

One of the technologies being examined is called "constructed wetlands." This method of disposal pumps liquid manure through cattails and reeds, which can absorb and dispose of the waste better than most other plants.

Williams said he recognizes the concerns raised about hog waste. "As a citizen, I feel that we do need to continue to determine what the environmental impacts are and what the new technology can do," he said.

And adding to the concerns surrounding the environmental problems is the approaching expiration of a moratorium on hog farms.

The moratorium, which prevents the construction of any new hog operation and prevents existing operations from expanding, was originally passed in 1997 and has been extended twice since then.

It will expire again on July 1, 2001, and N.C. legislators are in the process of determining what action to take.

The question of whether to extend the moratorium has sparked concerns among both environmentalists and hog farmers.

Rep. Pryor Gibson, D-Anson, who heads the state's Environment and Natural Resources Committee, said there is discussion right now on whether the moratorium will be put back in place, revised or completely taken away.

Some people think the moratorium should not be extended, and others think it needs to be tougher on hog farms, Gibson said.

Pittman said he thinks the moratorium needs to be tougher because the swine industry is not being punished.

Gibson said he cares about doing what is best for both the environment and the agriculture business.

He said the swine industry is concerned that heightened regulations will make it noncompetitive. "Some folks say the farms have reached their capacity and have no incentive to expand."

Tyler Bishop, a spokesman for Smithfield Foods, said the company cannot comment on the moratorium at this time. He said that until a bill asking for amendments to the moratorium is introduced, the company has no comments.

Gibson said a bill could come up soon. Many state leaders are currently evaluating the moratorium to decide if it should be extended.

But Williams said that while new technologies are being tested, it will take some time to evaluate them and decide which are the best. "We are continuing to evaluate the new processes," he said.

Pittman said he remains hopeful that new technologies will help solve the pollution problem. "Progress is being done, but more is needed."

The State & National Editor can be reached at stntdesk@unc.edu.