{"id":627,"date":"2021-04-14T16:36:04","date_gmt":"2021-04-14T16:36:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.nicholas.duke.edu\/env212\/?p=627"},"modified":"2021-04-14T17:18:03","modified_gmt":"2021-04-14T17:18:03","slug":"cafos-leading-to-environmental-injustice-in-our-backyard-by-jack-rosenthal","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.nicholas.duke.edu\/env212\/cafos-leading-to-environmental-injustice-in-our-backyard-by-jack-rosenthal\/","title":{"rendered":"CAFO’s Leading to Environmental Injustice in Our Backyard by Jack Rosenthal"},"content":{"rendered":"

Right in our backyard, 10 billion gallons of hog waste is being stored in massive \u2018lagoons\u2019 while the excess is being sprayed onto local fields.[1]<\/a> North Carolina is among the top five states operating Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations (CAFOs) in the country.[2]<\/a> These CAFOs are often located in low-income, minority communities, leading to significant environmental injustice concerns.[3]<\/a> According to a study conducted at Duke, death due to lung disease, anemia, tuberculosis and more occur at higher rates in the surrounding communities of hog farms as compared to communities located further away.[4]<\/a> To remedy the disproportionate impact of hog waste on nearby communities, the Biden administration must revisit and rectify Clinton\u2019s Executive Order 12898 of 1994. Through increased enforcement and data-driven approaches surrounding environmental justice, the Biden administration will have a unique opportunity to advance the environmental justice frontier.<\/p>\n

Hog farms are a major component of North Carolina\u2019s economy as it ranks second in the nation in hog production.[5]<\/a> Highly concentrated in eastern North Carolina, counties such as Duplin and Sampson, farm close to two million pigs, the largest pig farming counties in the entire U.S.[6]<\/a> Many of the farms are located near majority African American communities. Those living near these hog production facilities experience airborne emissions, such as ammonia and hydrogen sulfide, that produce an intolerable odor and cause serious respiratory concerns.[7]<\/a>A majority of these low-income, minority community members lack proper resources to protect themselves against CAFO consequences, such as access to healthcare and a platform to speak out against injustices.[8]<\/a><\/p>\n

The prevalence of North Carolina hog farms and its negative effects on surrounding communities goes largely unnoticed by the general public. Beginning in 2014, 26 separate cases were brought against the Murphy-Brown, LLC, a subsidiary of Smithfield Foods.[9]<\/a> African Americans, making up a majority of the cases, shoulder the burden of lacking legislation. The mechanisms for pollution enforcement are weak and do not provide minority communities an opportunity to protect themselves against harmful emissions. Due to the EPA and DOJ\u2019s failure to properly enforce environmental justice in these communities, the Biden administration must take action to ameliorate this disproportionate environmental burden.<\/p>\n

In the wake of Bill Clinton\u2019s Executive order 12898, enforcement has proved to be its largest impediment. EO 12898 was meant to require federal agencies to include environmental justice as part of their mission. Unfortunately, the order never established legitimate mechanisms to enforce EJ inclusion and lacked any consequences for agencies that failed to do so.[10]<\/a> To alleviate environmental injustice within minority communities, the Biden administration must emphasize enforcement of regulations rather than celebrating completed legislation. I propose the Biden administration implement a new subsidiary of the DOJ to enforce the environmental justice practices implemented by the administration. This new subsidiary of the DOJ would function as a policing agency to ensure federal agencies comply with the guidelines of EO 12898. Additionally, this new branch would be able to bring sanctions upon any agency that failed to comply with the guidelines. The current extent of EO 12898 is that it lays out a framework for individual agencies or programs to implement environmental justice strategies. The Biden administration should build off this foundation and implement a system to enforce these guidelines. The Environment and Natural Resources Division of the DOJ has been an important player in environmental protection but has lacked a focus on environmental justice.[11]<\/a> The ENRD should be consolidated with a new agency to hone in on promoting and enforcing environmental justice. There has been some talk of creating and Environmental and Climate Justice Division in the DOJ.[12]<\/a> This is an essential step in ensuring all communities can share in experiencing a healthy environment.<\/p>\n

Environmental protection moving forward must place a greater emphasis on environmental justice. Too many communities in America face the consequences of short-sighted regulation that disproportionally places the environmental burden on minorities. The case of hog waste in North Carolina is a quintessential example of poor regulation having serious ramifications on the well-being of nearby communities. It is critical the government take action to enforce the regulations it implements. The Biden administration must take advantage of its democratically controlled Congress and invoke new laws centered around enforcement.<\/p>\n

Endnotes:<\/strong><\/p>\n

[1]<\/a> \u201cThe North Carolina Hog Industry’s Answer to Pollution: a $500m Pipeline Project.\u201d The Guardian<\/em>, Guardian News and Media, 11 Dec. 2020.<\/p>\n

[2]<\/a> Christen, Caroline. \u201cTop Pork Producing States: Who Is the Largest Pork Producer in the U.S.?\u201d Sentient Media<\/em>, 1 Feb. 2021.<\/p>\n

[3]<\/a> Wing, S, et al. \u201cEnvironmental Injustice in North Carolina’s Hog Industry.\u201d Environmental Health Perspectives<\/em>, vol. 108, no. 3, 2000, pp. 225\u2013231.<\/p>\n

[4]<\/a> News, Duke Health. \u201cN.C. Residents Living Near Large Hog Farms Have Elevated Disease, Death Risks.\u201d Duke Department of Surgery<\/em>, 19 Sept. 2018.<\/p>\n

[5]<\/a> Guidry, Virginia T., et al. \u201cConnecting Environmental Justice and Community Health.\u201d North Carolina Medical Journal<\/em>, North Carolina Medical Journal, 1 Sept. 2018.<\/p>\n

[6]<\/a> Christen, Caroline. \u201cTop Pork Producing States: Who Is the Largest Pork Producer in the U.S.?\u201d Sentient Media<\/em>, 1 Feb. 2021.<\/p>\n

[7]<\/a> Wing, S, et al. \u201cEnvironmental Injustice in North Carolina’s Hog Industry.\u201d Environmental Health Perspectives<\/em>, vol. 108, no. 3, 2000, pp. 225\u2013231., doi:10.1289\/ehp.00108225.<\/p>\n

[8]<\/a> Guidry, Virginia T., et al. \u201cConnecting Environmental Justice and Community Health.\u201d North Carolina Medical Journal<\/em>, North Carolina Medical Journal, 1 Sept. 2018.<\/p>\n

[9]<\/a> Tiffany.dowell, and Tiffany.dowell. \u201cAppellate Court Affirms Liability in North Carolina Nuisance Case; Smithfield Announces Settlement.\u201d Texas Agriculture Law<\/em>, 3 Dec. 2020.<\/p>\n

[10]<\/a> \u201cWhat Biden Could Learn from Bill Clinton’s Unfinished Work on Environmental Justice.\u201d Grist<\/em>, 1 Apr. 2021.<\/p>\n

[11]<\/a> \u201cBiden Bolsters DOJ Focus on Environmental Justice, Climate (3).\u201d Bloomberg Law<\/em>, news.bloomberglaw.com\/environment-and-energy\/biden-bolsters-doj-focus-on-environmental-justice-climate.<\/p>\n

[12]<\/a> \u201cThe Biden Plan to Secure Environmental Justice and Equitable Economic Opportunity.\u201d Joe Biden for President: Official Campaign Website<\/em>, 30 Oct. 2020.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Right in our backyard, 10 billion gallons of hog waste is being stored in massive \u2018lagoons\u2019 while the excess is being sprayed onto local fields.[1] North Carolina is among the top five states operating ConcentratedContinue reading<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":771,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":false,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"coauthors":[81],"class_list":["post-627","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p9AMMK-a7","jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":201,"url":"https:\/\/blogs.nicholas.duke.edu\/env212\/biogas-and-cafos-in-north-carolina-by-carsten-pran\/","url_meta":{"origin":627,"position":0},"title":"Biogas and CAFOs in North Carolina by Carsten Pran","author":"Dr Betsy Albright, D.Phil.","date":"March 15, 2019","format":false,"excerpt":"Over nine million hogs call North Carolina home and most of them live in densely-packed, windowless warehouses called Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations (CAFOs) in the state\u2019s eastern floodplains.1 The livestock produce an immense amount of waste, which CAFO operators currently store in open air pits called \u2018hog lagoons\u2019.2 Pooling the\u2026","rel":"","context":"With 3 comments","block_context":{"text":"With 3 comments","link":"https:\/\/blogs.nicholas.duke.edu\/env212\/biogas-and-cafos-in-north-carolina-by-carsten-pran\/#comments"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":950,"url":"https:\/\/blogs.nicholas.duke.edu\/env212\/farmland-runoff-in-north-carolina\/","url_meta":{"origin":627,"position":1},"title":"Farmland Runoff in North Carolina","author":"Dr Betsy Albright, D.Phil.","date":"April 9, 2024","format":false,"excerpt":"by Blake Morris The state of North Carolina is home to some of the largest pork operations in the country. In Clinton County, North Carolina, the heart of hog country, hogs outnumber humans. As concentrated animal feeding operations (CAFOs) were adopted by industry leaders in the early 80s and 90s\u2026","rel":"","context":"With 1 comment","block_context":{"text":"With 1 comment","link":"https:\/\/blogs.nicholas.duke.edu\/env212\/farmland-runoff-in-north-carolina\/#comments"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":505,"url":"https:\/\/blogs.nicholas.duke.edu\/env212\/the-north-carolina-hog-industry-how-an-environmental-problem-can-become-a-solution-by-finn-doherty\/","url_meta":{"origin":627,"position":2},"title":"The North Carolina Hog Industry: How an Environmental Problem can Become a Solution by Finn Doherty","author":"Dr Betsy Albright, D.Phil.","date":"June 22, 2020","format":false,"excerpt":"In the state of North Carolina, there are almost as many hogs as there are people. Coming in at the third highest count of hogs in US states[1], the state of North Carolina has about 9.5 million hogs at any given time for the sale and consumption of pork[2]. This\u2026","rel":"","context":"With 1 comment","block_context":{"text":"With 1 comment","link":"https:\/\/blogs.nicholas.duke.edu\/env212\/the-north-carolina-hog-industry-how-an-environmental-problem-can-become-a-solution-by-finn-doherty\/#comments"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":466,"url":"https:\/\/blogs.nicholas.duke.edu\/env212\/the-modern-history-of-north-carolinian-energy-and-climate-change-policy-discussing-the-hog-waste-biogas-debate-by-cameron-oglesby\/","url_meta":{"origin":627,"position":3},"title":"The Modern History of North Carolinian Energy and Climate Change Policy: Discussing the Hog-waste Biogas Debate by Cameron Oglesby","author":"Dr Betsy Albright, D.Phil.","date":"June 15, 2020","format":false,"excerpt":"In recent years, North Carolina has made significant progress in the way of renewable energy infrastructure and energy policy designed to reduce the state\u2019s overall carbon footprint. In 2017, after President Donald Trump withdrew the United States from the Paris Climate Accords, Governor Roy Cooper joined a growing movement of\u2026","rel":"","context":"With 3 comments","block_context":{"text":"With 3 comments","link":"https:\/\/blogs.nicholas.duke.edu\/env212\/the-modern-history-of-north-carolinian-energy-and-climate-change-policy-discussing-the-hog-waste-biogas-debate-by-cameron-oglesby\/#comments"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":93,"url":"https:\/\/blogs.nicholas.duke.edu\/env212\/the-pig-poop-problem-is-getting-out-of-hand\/","url_meta":{"origin":627,"position":4},"title":"The Pig Poop Problem Is Getting Out of Hand","author":"J. Atwood","date":"May 9, 2018","format":false,"excerpt":"The state of North Carolina is home to one of the largest hog industries in the country. With 2,200 hog farms across the state\u2014second most only to Iowa\u2014 the 10 million pigs rivals the number of people. The hog industry has proven to be incredibly lucrative for the state, but\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Student"","block_context":{"text":"Student","link":"https:\/\/blogs.nicholas.duke.edu\/env212\/category\/student\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.nicholas.duke.edu\/env212\/files\/2018\/05\/Hog_confinement_barn_interior-1024x732.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.nicholas.duke.edu\/env212\/files\/2018\/05\/Hog_confinement_barn_interior-1024x732.jpg?resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.nicholas.duke.edu\/env212\/files\/2018\/05\/Hog_confinement_barn_interior-1024x732.jpg?resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.nicholas.duke.edu\/env212\/files\/2018\/05\/Hog_confinement_barn_interior-1024x732.jpg?resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":370,"url":"https:\/\/blogs.nicholas.duke.edu\/env212\/environmental-justice-and-north-carolina-hog-farms-by-emma-carlson\/","url_meta":{"origin":627,"position":5},"title":"Environmental Justice and North Carolina Hog Farms by Emma Carlson","author":"Dr Betsy Albright, D.Phil.","date":"April 2, 2020","format":false,"excerpt":"Hog farming is one of North Carolina\u2019s largest industries, but its negative consequences go largely unnoticed. Most of the hog industry is located in eastern North Carolina, where the smell of millions of pigs and their feces disproportionately impact lower income, minority neighbors of the hog farms.[1] This bad smell\u2026","rel":"","context":"With 2 comments","block_context":{"text":"With 2 comments","link":"https:\/\/blogs.nicholas.duke.edu\/env212\/environmental-justice-and-north-carolina-hog-farms-by-emma-carlson\/#comments"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.nicholas.duke.edu\/env212\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/627","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.nicholas.duke.edu\/env212\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.nicholas.duke.edu\/env212\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.nicholas.duke.edu\/env212\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/771"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.nicholas.duke.edu\/env212\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=627"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.nicholas.duke.edu\/env212\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/627\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":628,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.nicholas.duke.edu\/env212\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/627\/revisions\/628"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.nicholas.duke.edu\/env212\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=627"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.nicholas.duke.edu\/env212\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=627"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.nicholas.duke.edu\/env212\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=627"},{"taxonomy":"author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.nicholas.duke.edu\/env212\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/coauthors?post=627"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}