SALISBURY, Md. - The Wicomico County Council voted 5-2 Tuesday night to limit future dissolved air floatation tanks in the county, also known as DAF tanks.
There is one in Hebron where poultry farmers can dispose of their waste. While this tank was legally put in place, neighbors living near by say the smell has severely impacted their quality of life. For years, neighbors have been pushing the county council to do something, or at least limit any future tanks in the county.
Environmentalist Carol Dunahoo says Tuesday's council vote to limit these tanks is a win.
"It's gratifying to see the matter come to a vote and be resolved finally... it's a step in the right direction," says Dunahoo.
Others, like executive director of the Delmarva Chicken Association Holly Porter, say laws that hamper a farmer's ability to work could become a slippery slope.
"What is next? We're not trying to be be chicken little or say the sky is falling," said Porter. "It is just really concerning what this could mean for other parts of agriculture."
One local poultry farmer expressed her disappointment in the council even considering such legislation.
"I've been a poultry farmer in Wicomico County for 34 years... and I am dismayed and ashamed of this council. And I have never said that before," she said.
Despite the pushback, those for limiting these tanks say there are amendments that are fair. First, the tanks must be closed to keep in the smell that so many neighbors complain about. There is an exception for processing plants so they can hold their waste on site. Neighbor Alex McRae says though Tuesday's vote does not get rid of the existing tank near his home, tonight is a long-awaited victory.
"This feels like success they got a bill passed this is a way to rectify a situation for the future," said McRae.
The two votes against the law were District 5 Councilman Joe Holloway and Council President John Cannon. In a statement to WBOC, Holloway said, "We’re talking about a really fragile industry… we have to tread lightly on how we do that. The unintended consequences of what we do tonight could have an ill effect on the future of agriculture in this county."
