Friends of the Earth, an activist group, has joined with kindred organizations to file a formal complaint with the Environmental Protection Agency over disposal of waste from North Carolina broiler and turkey farms. The nonprofit environmental groups maintain that poultry farms in North Carolina are considered “deemed permitted” allowing for construction without environmental approval. Friends of the Earth maintain that “dry litter poultry facilities have been unlawfully allowed to operate without adequate regulation”. The complaint by Friends of the Earth alleges that disposal of chicken and farm waste is detrimental to minority communities in Robeson, Duplin and Sampson Counties as a result of the lack of permitting and oversight.
The Environmental Protection Agency has six months to conduct an investigation and to respond, including whether it has authority to introduce regulations according to their jurisdiction.