Two Mega-Chicken Farms Responsible for 20% of Toxic Discharges to Texas Waterways

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Environment Texas Calls on EPA to Curb Poultry Pollution

AUSTIN – Environment Texas released today a report examining the role of corporate agribusinesses across the country – including Texas-based, giant chicken producers Pilgrim’s Pride and Sanderson Farms – in the pollution of America’s waterways.   Environment Texas called for EPA and the states to ensure that companies like Pilgrim’s Pride and Sanderson Farms take full responsibility for the waste generated by their chickens.

In 2008, Industrial farming facilities owned by Pilgrim’s Pride (in Mount Pleasant, TX) and Sanderson Farms (in Bryan, TX) discharged over 2.7 million pounds of toxic chemicals into our rivers, lakes, and streams, which accounts for roughly 20% of all toxic pollution dumped into Texas waterways. In fact, these processing facilities were the two largest individual water polluters in the state, surpassing every refinery and chemical plant in Texas.

In one of 8 national case studies, the report found that the 99 million chickens raised on the Cypress Creek watershed – many of them owned by Pilgrim’s Pride – generate 229 million pounds of chicken litter every year.  Texas waterways are also affected by direct discharges of nutrients from these industrial facilities. Indeed, the Pilgrim’s Pride facility in Mount Pleasant, TX is estimated to contribute more total nitrogen to Lake o’ the Pines than the millions of pounds of chicken litter spread on local farm fields.

“It’s time for Pilgrim’s Pride, Sanderson Farms – and other industrial producers – to take responsibility for the massive scale of waste that comes from their chickens,” said Alejandro Savransky, Environment Texas Field Organizer. “We won’t have clean lakes, rivers, and streams until they do.”

Environment Texas is calling on EPA and the state of Texas to make sure that Pilgrim’s Pride, Sanderson Farms, and other agribusinesses do the following to ensure that their chicken manure no longer pollutes our waterways:  

 

  • Ban Worst Practices, including a moratoria on the opening of new CAFO (concentrated animal feeding operations) until their impact on the environment and public health is addressed
  • Guarantee Protections to all of America’s waterways by clarifying that the Clean Water Act applies to all waterways
  • Hold corporate agribusiness responsible for its pollution by making them liable for the waste they produce
  • Give local environmental laws and agencies real teeth to enforce the Clean Water Act
  • Empower local communities by allowing them to decide on local land-use issues
  • Encourage better practices and look for systematic solutions in the short and long term

 
The report also noted that Pilgrim’s Pride is the largest chicken producer in the nation, with $7.1 billion in annual sales.

Organic farmer Carol Ann Sayle, from Boggy Creek Farms in East Austin, joined Environment Texas in releasing the report.  “I’m a small farmer with 80 chickens who live their entire natural life here on the farm. I use cover crops, a buffer zone, and I consider my hen’s poop as valuable. I add it to dry leaves to make our compost. It is the nitrogen; the leaves provide the carbon. After finishing the compost to USDA Organic standards, I spread it out on our growing beds – as a source of slow release of nitrogen. I’ve not had to buy nitrogen for this farm for several years.”

As shown in the report, Pilgrim’s Pride and its chickens are hardly alone.  Across the country, agribusiness has become more industrialized; it is creating an industrial scale of pollution for America’s waters.   Across the country, agribusiness contributes to making 100,000 miles of rivers and 2,500 square miles of inland lakes too polluted to sustain important uses such as swimming, fishing, drinking, and wildlife habitat.

“Small farmers throughout our area have proven that sustainable farming and ranching practices can lead to an economically viable, environmentally sound, and socially just food system,” said Andrew Smiley of Sustainable Food Center (SFC). “SFC Farmers Markets and our other Farm Direct programs, as well as similar efforts in our region, that directly connect producers and consumers, provide a very workable alternative to conventional food systems.  We have the power as consumers to select where our food dollars go – more and more, we’re seeing individuals, families, and institutional food buyers choose to support responsible, sustainable growing practices in our community every time they purchase food.”

“This report is yet more evidence that our food chain is in danger.  Safe food is a right too often overlooked and taken for granted in government.  Boggy Creek and the other urban farms sprouting up around Austin are setting a great example for the rest of the state and nation.  I look forward to working with them and others to create a better environment in which they may thrive,” said State Representative Eddie Rodriguez from East Austin. “I hope that our Federal Government will heed the call to action within this report.”

“Environment Texas urges the EPA to start holding corporate agribusiness accountable,” concluded Savransky.  “And there’s no better place to start than with Pilgrim’s Pride and Sanderson Farms in Texas.”