The North Carolina state House voted, 74-40, to override Gov. Roy Cooper’s veto of a bill limiting the liability of large livestock farms when they are sued for noxious odors or runoff, said the Port City Daily. “Only time will tell how this legislation plays out…the bill must still pass in (the) Senate before it becomes law.”
The Legislature has overridden three other vetoes by Cooper. The governor said the bill on liability in public nuisance lawsuits “improperly gave special protection to one industry.” The bill would limit damages to the lost value of property, such as reduced rent or sales price. Sponsors say the bill would protect farmers who produce hogs under contract for large processors. Foes say it deprives people of the rights to protect their property.
Meanwhile, the Environmental Working Group pointed to research that found the DNA from a bacterium in hog manure on the exteriors of homes near a large hog farm in North Carolina or in the yards of the homes. The work, performed by an expert witness in a lawsuit against Smithfield Foods, found the DNA at 14 of 17 homes, situated as far as a mile away from the livestock. Professor Shane Rogers of Clarkson University, said it was more likely than not that the particles also were inside the houses.