A bill proposed in the North Carolina General Assembly would make it easier for companies to operate solid waste management systems on farms. In the Senate, the North Carolina Farm Act of 2021 would require speedier, general permitting for the installation and operation of anaerobic digesters, or coverings over waste lagoons at hog farms that capture renewable energy.
“The Farm Act includes provisions that will allow pig farmers to better manage their farms by capturing biogas and converting it to renewable natural gas. These biogas projects, which reduce greenhouse gases and generate renewable energy, are a positive step forward and should be applauded,” says Roy Lee Lindsey, chief executive officer of the North Carolina Pork Council.
All pig farms in North Carolina are required to have a permit to operate, Lindsey explains. The vast majority of these farms operate under a general permit that is tailored to reflect specific conditions on each farm. The general permit is reviewed and updated every five years, with ample opportunity for public input.
“Establishing a similar permit for biogas projects makes sense — the technology is well understood, and the digester systems are similar. This is not new technology,” he says.
North Carolina has issued 24 permits over the past decade allowing farms to cover lagoons or construct a methane digester to capture biogas.
“These renewable natural gas projects reflect our pig farmers’ commitment to continuous improvement. Opposing innovation, whether small steps or giant leaps forward, will only prevent further advancement,” Lindsey says.
Meanwhile, another bill in the House, seeks to make that process more difficult, reports The Fayetteville Observer. The Environmental Justice Considerations bill would have state agencies deny any permits they deem as posing an environmental threat to communities of color.
The North Carolina Farm Families (NCFF) blog reports an April 30 Fayetteville Observer article about the opposition to renewable natural gas projects says hog farms “are located in or around communities made up of mostly Black, Hispanic or Latino and Native American people.”
“It’s a claim that fits neatly into the narrative of environmental racism, but there’s one small problem: it’s simply not true,” NCFF wrote.
In Sampson and Duplin counties, NCFF reports that the state’s two largest hog producing counties and the communities closest to the Align RNG project, white residents outnumber black residents by a margin of nearly 2-to-1.
In a study commissioned several years ago by the North Carolina Pork Council to examine the demographics around every permitted hog farm in the state, researchers discovered that 68% of hog farms in North Carolina are in areas where black residents make up 30% or fewer of the population.
“NC Farm Families will continue sharing the facts about our farms and highlighting the proven environmental benefits of biogas projects that reduce greenhouse gas emissions and general renewable energy,” NCFF wrote.
More from Farm Journal’s PORK:
Air Pollution Study Contributes to False Animal Ag Narrative
Pig Farmer Joey Carter was Blindsided - It Could Happen to You
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