Source: MEATINGPLACE, 7/27/11

A new report by the Pew Environmental Group says waste management programs have not kept pace with the rise of industrial chicken production facilities, and the output is polluting the nation’s waterways.

The report, “Big Chicken: Pollution and Industrial Poultry Production in America,” singles out the impact on the Chesapeake Bay from broiler litter from the adjacent Delaware-Maryland-Virginia peninsula and chastises the poultry industry for not cleaning up after itself.

“Instead of working to limit the effects of all this chicken waste, the industry has fought to avoid responsibility for cleaning up one of our national treasures,” said Pew’s Robert Martin, who specializes in industrial animal agriculture reform, in a news release.

The poultry industry immediately fired back, stressing that it is “more diligent and innovative than ever” in pursuing environmental improvements.

“The poultry community has already taken meaningful steps to further reduce nutrient impacts on the environment.  EPA acknowledges the positive steps agriculture has implemented in reducing its environmental footprint in the Bay region, even as the nutrient contribution from non-agricultural sources continues to grow,” the poultry groups said in a joint statement.

According to Pew, the number of broiler chickens raised annually has climbed to nearly 9 billion from 580 million in the 1950s, while the number of producers has plunged from 1.6 million to just over 27,000 concentrated in 15 states. To address the environmental impact, the Pew recommends:
• Limits on the density of animal production based on the capacity of crops to absorb nutrients in a given area.
• Shared financial and legal responsibility between poultry growers and corporate integrators (the large corporations that contract with growers) for managing waste.
• Monitoring and regulation of waste transported off concentrated animal feeding operation sites.
• Requirements for all medium and large CAFOs to obtain Clean Water Act permits.

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