Source: Chris Scott, MEATINGPLACE, 8/29/17



Food & Water Watch has filed a federal lawsuit accusing USDA’s Farm Service Agency (FSA) of failing to adequately consider environmental impacts before supporting a loan guarantee for a poultry operation on Maryland’s Eastern Shore two years ago.
The nonprofit group said the loan guarantee for nearly $1.1 million in 2015 opened the door for construction of a concentrated animal feeding operation (CAFO) in an area already besieged by pollution from existing poultry companies. The lawsuit claims that FSA’s review of the environmental impacts of a new chicken plant proposed by One More Haul Farm “fell far short” of what is required under the federal National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA).

The facility near Watts Creek in Caroline County, Md., has the capacity to house nearly 200,000 chickens, producing 1,000 tons of chicken waste each year, the organization noted in a news release. Food & Water Watch also alleges that public records show that the Maryland Dept. of Agriculture and the governor’s office intervened in the FSA assessment process, urging the agency to approve the loan guarantee on an expedited basis.

The lawsuit asks the court to nullify the FSA assessment and declare that it was inadequate, among other forms of relief, including covering Food & Water Watch’s attorney fees.

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