July 27, 2007

North Carolina to prohibit building of new hog lagoons

The government of North Carolina has voted against the building of new waste lagoons on hog farms to set more environmentally friendly standards for new waste disposal systems.

The bill does not state anything about existing lagoons but it is viewed as a compromise between the state's hog industry and environmental groups. The bill also aims to provide aid to help farmers convert to more environmentally friendly waste disposal systems voluntarily. It is also geared towards capturing methane gas for energy production.

Lawmakers have been working to pass new legislation before a ten-year-old moratorium on new pig farm construction expires in September.

The bill, previously passed by the North Carolina Senate, now goes back to that chamber for concurrence with House changes.