To: John M. Blust (NC-62)
Ask NC Department of Health and Human Services to launch an investigation into the public health ...
Dear Representative Blust,
As I am sure you are aware, Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations (CAFOs) can pose serious risks to both the natural environment and the people living in the communities where they exist. CAFOs in North Carolina, particularly the hog raising farms, in Duplin County produce enormous amounts of swine waste which can seep into water supplies and pollute the air.
The National Institute of Health has found that waste from the operations can contain "pathogens, heavy metals, and antibiotic-resistant bacteria" in addition to "respiratory and eye irritants including hydrogen sulfide and ammonia.” NIH also has found links between CAFOs and respiratory illnesses.
We, the undersigned concerned voters of North Carolina believe there is an urgent need to investigate CAFOs in our state.
As I am sure you are aware, Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations (CAFOs) can pose serious risks to both the natural environment and the people living in the communities where they exist. CAFOs in North Carolina, particularly the hog raising farms, in Duplin County produce enormous amounts of swine waste which can seep into water supplies and pollute the air.
The National Institute of Health has found that waste from the operations can contain "pathogens, heavy metals, and antibiotic-resistant bacteria" in addition to "respiratory and eye irritants including hydrogen sulfide and ammonia.” NIH also has found links between CAFOs and respiratory illnesses.
We, the undersigned concerned voters of North Carolina believe there is an urgent need to investigate CAFOs in our state.
Why is this important?
Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations (CAFO’s) are controversial for a number of reasons. Questions regarding the raising of such large numbers of animals in confined spaces, the overuse of antibiotics, and the impact on consumers of meat typically dominate the public dialogue in regards to these “factory farms.” What is often neglected is the health impact that CAFO’s have on communities, both locally and globally. These effects include typical industrial pollution, inescapable foul odors, and the contamination of soil and water. With North Carolina in particular being home to so many of these operations, there is an exigent need to better quantify the damage these industrial-scale monstrosities have on health and human safety.