Bill > H867

Introduced Session

AN ACT TO CREATE A PERMITTING PROGRAM FOR DRY LITTER POULTRY OPERATIONS; TO DIRECT THE ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW COMMISSION TO STUDY AND DETERMINE THE NUMBER AND LOCATION OF POULTRY FARMS (CAFOS) IN NORTH CAROLINA, THE DRY LITTER WASTE MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS AND PRACTICES THAT ARE EMPLOYED BY THESE FARMS, THE POTENTIAL ENVIRONMENTAL AND HEALTH IMPACTS AND DAMAGES THESE SYSTEMS AND PRACTICES MAY HAVE, AND RECOMMENDATIONS ON HOW BEST TO REGULATE THESE WASTE MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS IN PROTECTING THE ENVIRONMENT AND THE PUBLIC'S HEALTH AND SAFETY; AND TO REVISE WASTE MANAGEMENT PLAN SUBMISSION REQUIREMENTS FOR DRY LITTER POULTRY FACILITIES. Whereas, as poultry production in the United States has increased, the total number of farms has declined; and Whereas, ninety-seven percent (97%) of the 9 billion chickens produced for consumption each year are raised in Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations (CAFOs); and Whereas, it is estimated that in 2022, the State had over 544 million poultry and 4,863 dry litter poultry facilities, compared to 8.8 million hogs and 2,489 hog farms; and Whereas, among all animal operations in the State, those with poultry are the largest source of nutrients from waste. The waste produced, known as dry litter, is a mixture of manure, bedding, and feathers that contains heavy metals and pathogens in addition to nutrients; and Whereas, for disposal, the waste is applied onto adjacent fields or trucked a short distance to be used as fertilizer. When mobilized in runoff or subsurface flow, the waste is a threat to water quality; and Whereas, because dry litter poultry operations do not discharge their waste directly to surface waters, they are not regulated under the National Pollution Discharge Elimination System (NPDES), and these operations are deemed permitted unless an illicit discharge is reported and documented by staff; and Whereas, in addition to nutrient pollution from runoff of land application sites, the lack of regulatory oversight for dry poultry litter also threatens surrounding communities through pathogen-laden surface waters, odor and health hazards from disposal of dead birds, and contaminated flood waters; and Whereas, this pollution disproportionately impacts communities of color and jeopardizes economic drivers in all communities; and Whereas, G.S. 143-215.10C requires that any owner or operator of a dry litter poultry facility that is not subject to federal regulation but that involves 30,000 or more birds shall develop an animal waste management plan; and Whereas, the North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality basin planning group has requested access to any information regarding nutrient loading rates from dry litter poultry operations; and Whereas, a study of the industrial poultry industry would be beneficial to all because there have been substantial technological advances in the disposition of poultry waste, including various recycling technologies such as anaerobic digestion that result in beneficial economic outcomes to both the industry and the public, and there has been significant passage of time since this part of the agricultural sector of the State has been studied; Now, therefore,

Committee Categories

Deb Butler (D)*,  Julia Greenfield (D)*,  Pricey Harrison (D)*,  Phil Rubin (D)*,  Mary Belk (D),  Maria Cervania (D),  Aisha Dew (D),  Marcia Morey (D),  Renée Price (D), 

Ref To Com On Rules, Calendar, and Operations of the House (on 04/10/2025)

Official Document