Smithfield Foods, the world’s largest pork producer, earlier this week announced a $250 million partnership with Dominion Energy to capture methane from hog waste cesspools and ship it by pipeline. Will Hendrick, Waterkeeper Alliance staff attorney and manager of the North Carolina Pure Farms, Pure Waters campaign, released the following statement:
“Smithfield’s announcement that it would spend $125 million to capture methane from its hog cesspools and ship it by pipeline belies the industry’s long-held contention that it can’t afford better waste management technology. And the technology the company chose to invest in won’t protects the air its neighbors breathe and the water they drink.
“The plan Smithfield announced will not remove dangerous pollutants from neighbors’ wells, will not prevent hog operations’ toxic emissions from fouling the air they breathe, and will not prevent droplets of hog manure and urine from blowing in through their windows when that waste is sprayed on crops. Instead this investment threatens to increase risks of groundwater and surface water pollution.
“Smithfield has shown it can afford to clean up its act. Now it needs to do so.”