North Carolina State Senate Proposes Delaying Crucial Water Quality Protections

RALEIGH, N.C. – Under the North Carolina state Senate’s proposed budget, new requirements for industrial hog farms meant to protect water quality and provide the public with information about whether hog waste lagoons are leaking would be delayed an entire year. Instead of taking effect this fall as intended, the safeguards would be delayed until October 1, 2020. The Senate’s delay tactics come on the heels of the state Department of Environmental Quality’s failure to protect North Carolinians with stronger hog waste handling safeguards.

A statement follows from Valerie Baron, Staff Attorney at the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC):

“The state Senate leadership is hellbent on playing games with North Carolinians’ water quality. Delaying implementation of the few overdue safeguards that would actually protect communities from polluted water and information about whether lagoons are leaking is deeply disturbing – and it has to end. North Carolinians deserve better.”

For more background, read Valerie Baron’s blog: New Swine Waste Permit Fails to Protect Communities & Water

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The Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) is an international nonprofit environmental organization with more than 3 million members and online activists. Since 1970, our lawyers, scientists, and other environmental specialists have worked to protect the world's natural resources, public health, and the environment. NRDC has offices in New York City, Washington, D.C., Los Angeles, San Francisco, Chicago, Bozeman, MT, and Beijing. Visit us at www.nrdc.org and follow us on Twitter @NRDC.​