Md. poultry companies urged to pick up bay cleaning tab

Maryland legislators are now calling for corporate accountability from big chicken companies around the state.

The Poultry Litter Management Act, which could potentially alleviate a heavy burden resting on the shoulders of Maryland’s farmers and taxpayers, was filed Tuesday in Annapolis. It would make poultry companies responsible for chicken manure.

Pocomoke City resident Carole Morrison tells 47 ABC she knows what it’s like to clean up what she calls someone else’s mess and pay for it. Morrison was a contractor for Perdue Farms until 2009.

“The farmer…their job is to raise a chicken to a marketable age for the company, a service that they provide, period. They don’t own those chickens.” Says Morrison. “Anybody who owns an animal is responsible for it.”

Responsibility often includes dealing with excess manure. According to the Chesapeake Bay Foundation (“CBF”) it’s applied to fields because that’s generally the easiest form of disposal; however, fields can only take so much it of it.

Alison Prost, Maryland executive director of CBF, says this means it will eventually run off into area waterways.

“That leads to algae blooms, which leads to our dead zones in the our rivers and our bays and a dead zone is where there is not enough oxygen for the critters to survive and thrive.” Explains Prost.

If passed, the bill would have big poultry companies foot the bill for clean up. District 12 Delegate Clarence Lam is the chief House sponsor of the bill along with District 43 Senator Joan Carter Conway, who is the chief Senate sponsor.

“Whether you’re a republican or a democrat, we are deeply concerned about the plight of contract farmers who often times don’t have a voice to be able to speak up about their concerns.” Says Delegate Lam.

According to Delegate Lam, the cost to clean up excess manure could cost a farm upwards of hundreds of thousands of dollars. He says the state assists in the disposal process by investing millions into the Maryland Manure Transport Program, which is administered by the Maryland Department of Agriculture.

Under the proposal, a contract farmer would have to come up with a waste management plan. The plan would identify how much manure can actually be applied to fields. The excess would then be the responsibility of the companies they are selling poultry to.

Julie DeYoung, a Media Relations spokesperson for Perdue Farms, says they voluntarily take poultry litter from Perdue contract growers. In a statement, Perdue says in part “We have been the only poultry company in the Chesapeake Bay region that provides an environmentally responsible alternative to land application. Those who claim that Perdue is putting the responsibility for poultry litter on our farmers are choosing to ignore this fact.”

While Morrison is no longer a contractor for Perdue, she’s supporting the bill on behalf of contractors who are paid per pound of meat moved off of their farms.

“There’s no money to be squeezed out of that nickel a pound to take care of this.” She says.

47 ABC spoke with District 38-B Delegate Carl Anderton, Jr. in Annapolis on Tuesday. Delegate Anderton, Jr. says he understands where the farmers are coming from; however, this bill might be jumping the gun considering new regulations on the Phosphorus Management Tool aimed at improving the health of Maryland waterways.

The new regulations took effect in the summer of 2015.

“I think we’re kind of getting a little ahead of ourselves.” Says Delegate Anderton, Jr. “Let’s let the tool work, and let’s see what the actual numbers are before we go forth with trying to pass forth another statute slash regulation on our farmers and farming industry on the shore.”

47 ABC also reached out to Mountaire Farms to get their take on this bill. As of 6 p.m. Tuesday, there has been no response.

As far as the Poultry Litter Management Act, we’re told it is expected to be assigned a House bill number on Wednesday.