The rise of industrial-scale chicken houses on Maryland’s Eastern Shore in recent years has raised questions about their impact on residents’ health. Legislation pending in the General Assembly seeks to answer one of them: What are they putting into the air?
Lawmakers are weighing a study of whether huge chicken farms are polluting the air around them — a new front in an ongoing debate over how the state’s expansive poultry industry affects the environment.
The proposal, debated Wednesday in the House of Delegates, is stirring conflicts pitting economic development against public health, and scientific research versus political activism.
The poultry industry dominates state agriculture, and its representatives say farms have had to grow in response to the rising costs of complying with environmental regulation and animal welfare concerns. Modern chicken houses hold thousands of birds to supply poultry giants such as Perdue, Tyson and Mountaire Farms.
Neighbors, environmentalists and public health experts have raised concern over whether the larger scale of the operations translates to a bigger impact on the environment and public health.
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16 comments:
Our pollution comes from Baltimore they want to come over here and tax our business's because they already taxed Baltimore into a slum.
Of course these huge chicken houses have a negative impact on our health. The public should not be supportive of these massive operations. Instead the public should encourage the use of smaller houses which would support more local families financial success as opposed to the big companies profits. Smaller operations are better for the economy. It will employee more people.
Why should the public support big business in general? Big business is bad for jobs. Everybody knows more small businesses produce more jobs. No brainer.
Spoken from those who think food grows on the shelf at the supermarket.
This is laughable since our pollution comes from geo-engineering. All you have to do is look up. When was the last time you actually saw a blue sky instead of a white haze.
Stop spraying us.
Start with the municipal air & water waste from DC and Baltimore first, then compare it to over here. 100 to 1 will be a good number to start with.
941-Employing more people doesn't necessarily mean it's better for the economy. Hope you are able to pay much more for your eggs and poultry at the store. Because the days of .99 cents per pound will never be seen again.
Next, HEPA filters for all chicken houses. (Please make them the washable kind.)
Leave well enough alone BIG GOV'T. Stay on your side of the Bay Bridge, we don't need your assistance.
Well, Maryland taxed the rain. Now it's the air they want to tax.
The eastern shore needs to leave MD
From the chicken plants to the family farms, the runoff from each goes into our water and we drink it, until it is found then they supply you with bottled water or water filters and such. Nothing to see here.
Smell is airborne particals. In this case, pieces of chicken poop! Chicken waste full of germs that are deadly to weaker, older, and infant people! Back in 2005 a study was done on chicken feces and how it caries "Bird Flu" and how it gets into humans. Do you know how? It enters humans from breathing in contaminated air! Filter should be mandatory on Chicken house ventilators.Chicken waste needs to be incinerated, not sold and spread all over the ground and plowed around to blow in the air!
So, how is Jim Perdue fighting this nonsense?
By becoming Jake Day's celebrity host for the Fulk Festival.
What do you think Frank would say about that?
Whether or not more jobs is good for the economy is irrelevant to those of us who need jobs.
More jobs is good for people.
Period.
6:04,
Does Jimmy-boy know that Day is backing a democrat candidate for governor who wants to have a "chicken tax" of 5 cents per bird?
I don't see the problem here. If these "farms" arent doing damage to the environment or people why would they object to monitoring? All large industries are monitored for pollution this is nothing new and these farms should not be exempt from intense monitoring. Many of these are bigger than a Super Walmart and are located next to communities, schools Etc what's the problem in protecting the land and air for future residence to enjoy? Holding those accountable who are temporarily using it is necessary because, let's face it we don't really own the earth we "rent" it and hand it down from generation to generation.
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