Low Coastal Lands North Carolina

Background Information

On the low coastal lands of the eastern part of North Carolina, many people, including families in some rural parts daily, must be confronted by lousy smells from hog or pig farms that occupy large tracks of land in the State. People have often covered their noses and mouths using handkerchiefs or masks to reduce the saturated odor, usually waiting for them to step outside. Even a small amount of mist of pig or hog mature when sprayed in farms; it sprinkles nearby vehicles, hanging clothes on the line, homes, and even on people's faces and hair.

This environmental pollution problem started majorly in 1982 in counties of North Carolina. By 1997, over 95% of swine farming was all carried out in the eastern side counties of the coast low-lands (Edwards et al., p215). Most large-scale farms, referred to as CAFOs, rear thousands of these animals. These CAFO farms in North Carolina State eastern counties have often planted Bermuda grass and other feed crops to feed the hogs and pigs (Zublena). Therefore, they periodically apply the sprays to fields. These wastes usually reach water sources and the surrounding homes.

The Problem

The hog or pig waste has been found to contain heavy metals, antibiotic-resistant bacteria, and pathogens; this is very toxic (Lowman et al., p537). The odor or pungent smell irritates the eyes and leads to breathing problems. This has become a major environmental problem and health issue for the residents and visitors. The eye irritants usually contain ammonia and sulfide. Researchers have suggested that these wastes or emissions cause mucosal irritation and breathing ailments in nearby homes and reduce the quality of life, psychological stress, and increased blood pressure. Human waste is usually chemically treated and mechanically filtrated before being released into the environment.

CAFOs channel the manure from the pig houses into pit latrines or artificial lagoons, where it's stored without any treatment until it is applied onto the grass or crop fields (Wilson p4979). Bad weather like hurricanes, storms, and floods usually lead to overflow or burst, thus, spillage of raw waste onto the plains and directly into rivers and streams leading to contamination and pollution. Pollution resulting from waste smell often prevents locals from relaxing, strolling or playing outside, opening windows, hanging clothes on lines to dry, or even inviting guests or visitors in their homes (Wing et al., p95).

Role of the Levels of Government

The federal government of the United States has, over the years, come up with farm laws and policies to protect the hog farming business and the local communities living around the CAFOs. These vast farms have been polluting nearly half of the coastal plains of North Carolina with their hog wastes stored untreated in artificial lagoons or pit latrines to be used as manure in their Bermuda grass or crop fields (Schiffman p372). The federal government has legislated through its senate farm bills and its Environment and Natural Resources department policies to regulate the chemicals to treat these wastes before being discharged into waterways or crop fields. The federal government's role is to ensure that the health and psychological conditions of the affected local communities are not affected in any way.

The State of North Carolina, through its Governor, has ensured that the local communities within the hog farming areas are compensated by these big farms who do not care whether the results of their extensive modes of farming affect the residents. The State has come up with laws, several policies, and regulations to protect the dumping of animal wastes and the use of safe and appropriate farm implements while carrying out swine farming within the State. In conjunction with environmental civil rights groups, the State of North Carolina has initiated several civil rights settlements and lawsuits against the big firms polluting the coastal low-lands of the eastern parts of North Carolina. These settlement schemes benefit the affected people who no longer breathe fresh air and can't even go outside their houses to access social amenities. The State passed the Clean Water Act to prevent these hog farms from polluting the water sources and would lead to prosecution or fining if violations would occur, as in the case of Smithfield Foods Inc in the year 2000 (Nicole). Through the Swine Farm Environmental Performance Standards Act, the State stopped building new lagoons, expanding, forcing the farms to implement environmental-superior technology to cut on the emissions.

Most of the local governments, county councils, Cities, and Special districts have often come up with by-laws to provide direct protection of the health and living environments of the residents. Through town hall meetings, policies and by-laws have been proposed for implementation by the assemblies through the involvement of the affected people (Edwards et al., p210). The local governments have often initiated free medical camps, availing food provisions or rations to the affected communities, and has made the local and visitors aware of the big problem they are facing; including how they can fight the big swine farms together since they usually operate on loopholes existing in federal, State and local laws and policies to evade compensation and settlement agreements for the locals.

Current Funding Mechanisms

The funding mechanism of the local governments does not match the rate at which these vast farms increase pollution in the environment. The local authorities have been relying on quality checks and existing laws and policies to try and manage this pollution menace. Since the hog farms are extensive and usually use loopholes in-laws to avoid prosecution, local governments have not reached all farm corners to do a thorough inspection and quality checks on the old lagoons and waste storages (Bindell). Therefore, the State should rely on non-profit organizations to help put things in order often and give additional funding to all local authorities to carry out quality environmental pollution checks in all privately owned swine farms.

The solution to the Problem Including How to Fund It

The solution to this animal waste pollution problem is that all the relevant state environmental agencies should move with speed to carry out a quality environmental inspection in all animal and crop farms that still use old lagoons and pit latrines storing untreated wastes. Since the Local government of Eastern Carolina is served by voluntary county and municipal councils, their funding is usually limited towards environmental protection and inspection of biogas farms (Zublena et al.). North Carolina should have State funded councils and municipals to ensure enough resources to inspect and enforce environmental justice. The current funding mechanisms are not enough to solve this pollution problem. Grants provided too are too little as environmental farm pollution is an extensive area for local authorities.