North Carolina Bill Would Reopen Hog Farms, Gut Clean Energy Policies, Shrink Buffers

(RALEIGH, NC – April 27, 2015) A fast-track bill through the North Carolina House of Representatives poses a triple threat to environment, public health and the economy, says Environmental Defense Fund.

House Bill 760 “Regulatory Reform Act of 2015” would allow closed swine waste systems to reopen without meeting state standards to protect water and air quality. In 2007, the state adopted new standards for hog waste systems to help reduce impacts to communities and the environment associated with large scale swine operations.

“The bill is a giant step backward for North Carolina, and it should be stopped now. This is a bad bill that just keeps getting worse,” said David Kelly, EDF senior analyst in the Raleigh office.

“By allowing outdated hog operations to reopen without meeting modern standards, the bill increases risks to communities still struggling to protect themselves from impacts associated with open air waste lagoons and sprayfields,” said Kelly.

The bill also overturns a recent utility commission decision that requires Duke Energy and other utilities to pay solar farms a fair price under standard contract terms. These requirements have established North Carolina as a solar energy leader, with over 4,300 workers and 450 companies that have invested over $2 billion in the state, much of it in rural areas.

“This bill is a giveaway to Duke Energy and other electric utilities by further limiting ratepayer choice and jeopardizing our state’s solar companies and workers. North Carolina must continue to expand clean energy jobs and companies, not drive them away to other states,” said Kelly.

The bill also includes damaging changes to state buffer requirements. Buffers are among the most cost-effective ways to filter pollution and keep waterways clean and healthy.

“Without effective buffers, more pollution will flow into waterways, and more tax dollars will be spent on expensive treatment plants to protect our drinking water and clean up rivers and streams,” said Kelly. “The bill shifts responsibility for cleaning up our rivers from polluters to taxpayers.”