By Charlotte Smith
Recent court trials have left the hog industry in the headlines. The fifth hog industry lawsuit is being held in Raleigh, NC and the state is currently seeking comments from the public.
Nearly all North Carolina swine farms, as well as wet poultry and cattle, are subject to the requirements of their respective state general permits according to the N.C. Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ). Every five years, a new general permit is issued. Drafts for public consideration and comment are located at the state’s website: https://deq.nc.gov/about/divisions/water-resources/water-quality-regional-operations/afo
The comment period expires on March 4, 2019. The N.C. Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) announced two meetings and a thirty-day comment period on three general permits for animal operations. The three permits are the Swine General Permit, the Cattle General Permit, and the Wet Poultry General Permit.
The first meeting on the three permits will be held Tuesday, February 19 at James Sprunt Community College in Kenansville at 6 p.m. The second will be held on February 26 at Statesville Civic Center in Statesville, NC at 6 p.m. Registration for both meetings begins at 5:30.
Comments obtained through the comment period and meetings will inform the final permit language.
The comment period will last until March 4, 2019, and public comments may be submitted several ways:
1. In person at the meetings listed above.
2. Via email:
Swine General Permit: SwinePermit.Comments@ncdenr.gov
Wet Poultry Permit: WetPoultryPermit.Comments@ncdenr.gov
Cattle Permit: CattlePermit.Comments@ncdenr.gov
3. By mail: Animal Farm Operations,
NC Division of Water Resources
1636 Mail Service Center
Raleigh, NC 27699-1636
The draft permits, examples of annual reports, and related fact sheets and information are available for review on the DEQ website at: https://deq.nc.gov/about/divisions/water-resources/water-quality-regional- operations/afo.
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