Staying Safe in a Toxic World
industry were in court disputing whether the com- panies knew for decades that the over-application of poultry waste on farmland was polluting the Illinois River watershed.
To illustrate the harm caused by massive amounts of poultry litter in the river valley, the waste. He claimed that in the water are phospho- rus, nitrogen, arsenic, estrogen, antibiotics, and harmful pathogens. The attorneys claimed that River with harmful bacteria and chemicals that threaten the health of the tens of thousands of He also accused the companies, such as Tyson Foods, Inc., of placing the burden of handling the waste on the farmers who raise the birds. The attorneys argued that the industry took the easy and cheap way out. They spread it directly on the by burning it as energy, processing it into pellets, or composting it. This case is still in court today. I have never thought of poultry litter as some- thing that could be dangerous to our environment.
If the big industries would work closer with the farmers and work out some economical way of disposing of the waste from our birds, we could raise our chickens. People raised chickens on their farms for years and never used chemicals, so let’s raise and process chicken. Passing the buck never did anyone any good.
I know I will think twice before I take a swim this article didn’t make me want to fry up any chicken for dinner, that’s for sure.
Sources:
; <www.
www.msnbc. gov>; .
Janet Scharbor, former dislocated worker. Currently working at the Adult Education Center in Fort Smith, AR, as a Substitute Aide. She is married and has four children and nine grandchildren.
Coming Home to Roost
Arsenic is one of the harmful ingredients in chicken litter. How did it get into the chicken litter?
What pressures do poultry farmers experience? How could we persuade them to make choices that are better for the environment?
Have you or has anyone in your com- munity used manure to fertilize a garden or plants? What are the advantages and disadvantages of using waste as fertilizer?
how to compost your food waste and make your own fertilizer at home? Vist <
www.howtocompost.org>.
The Change Agent — March 2011 43
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