In response to the North Carolina General Assembly once again voting to prioritize polluters over people by overriding Governor Cooper’s veto and enacting the NC Farm Act, SB711, Waterkeeper Alliance Campaign Manager and Staff Attorney Will Hendrick has issued the following statement:
“Under SB711, it is difficult to see how any injured neighbor will be able to sue an operation to end a nuisance or recover damages for real and lasting injuries, like water contamination and health problems. Governor Cooper, to his credit, once again objected to this attack on property rights and environmental protection. Unfortunately, too many elected to the General Assembly disagreed with that assessment, as they once again acted to strip legal rights and remedies from North Carolinians to benefit a single industry: industrial animal agriculture.
Waterkeeper Alliance will continue fighting legislative efforts to decrease protections for communities and the environment. We are proud to do so with the help of Waterkeeper groups from the mountains to the coast of North Carolina, and will stand shoulder-to-shoulder with affected community members, spurred to action by our commitment to defend North Carolina’s natural resources.”