Environmental groups say they estimate tens of thousands of homeowners would be affected by a North Carolina proposal to protect hog and poultry operations from lawsuits to stop intense animal waste smells.
Environmental Working Group and Waterkeeper Alliance are releasing an interactive map Sunday showing the proximity of homes to high-density hog and poultry barns around North Carolina. They estimate about 60,000 homes are within a half-mile of livestock operations, representing families likely to be affected if the legislation undercutting nuisance lawsuits is approved.
The environmental groups say they’ve used state permitting data and on-the-ground spotters to log the locations of thousands of industrial-scale livestock operations on the online map. The groups say the map also marks residential parcels from county tax records.
