SALISBURY, Md.- The Environmental Integrity Project says 84% of Maryland Poultry Operations Failed Water Pollution Control Inspections from 2017 to 2020. It also said only 2% paid fines. James Fisher from the Delmarva Chicken Association says the data is not correct.
"I mean groups like this you know they have a goal they to kind of end chicken farming as we know it on Delmarva they have a very different view of how much farmer there ought to be," said Fisher.
Monica Brooks, Co-Founder of Concerned Citizens Against Industrial CAFOs and Chair of the Environmental Justice Committee for the Wicomico County NAACP, says if the Maryland Department of the Environment see's a problem, it will report it.
"If they find that there is an actual issue, that is not outlandish. Those are not unfounded claims," said Brooks. "The report is factual. We have the data to back it up".
But Fisher thinks activists should focus on other industries.
"I think groups like this, they would help the bay better if they would pay a little more attention to part of the bays that aren't improving on nutrition. Like developed areas, like suburbs and business areas that are unfortunately who were sending more nutrients to the bay now then they were a decade ago," said Fisher.
WBOC reached out to the Maryland Department of the Environment who did not respond our calls.
