Delmarva Chicken Association sets the record straight on Maryland’s chicken growers and the environment

The Maryland Department of the Environment was at UMES on Sept. 23 holding the first of four statewide listening sessions about amending the statewide general permit that regulates animal feeding operations to comply with the federal Clean Water Act. The current general permit issued in 2020 expires July 7, 2025. Delmarva Chicken Association Executive Director Holly Porter issued the following statement about Maryland chicken growers and the environment.

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As Maryland starts an every-five-years review of a water quality permit that governs chicken farms, Delmarva Chicken Association is out in front to set the record straight about growers' commitment to raise chickens and protect the environment.

We're making it clear that today's chicken farmers are already safeguarding the Chesapeake Bay and investing in conservation to keep that progress going. We're also pointing out the devastating economic damage a moratorium on chicken farms would do.

Here are the facts:

• Chicken farmers and other farmers in Maryland have reduced their impact on the Chesapeake Bay. As we've produced more chicken to meet strong demand for healthy, nutritious protein, we've cut back our nutrient effects on the watershed, and Chesapeake Bay researchers have documented that real, tangible progress for many years. It's one of the reasons why recent Bay report cards have recorded clear improvements in water quality. At the same time, development trends on Delmarva have led to increased nutrient pollution from cities, suburbs, roads and parking lots. We want to see everyone in the watershed follow farmers' lead and reduce nutrient pollution.
• Chicken growers are highly regulated. They must follow strict zero-discharge permits and they have invested in conservation features to protect water quality. Farmers raise their own families on their farms, so air and water quality is very important to them. DCA is partnering with responsible environmental groups to invest millions of dollars in on-farm conservation measures to make even more progress. Visit dcachicken.com/green to learn more about this initiative.
• Simply canceling the Maryland chicken industry, as some activists say they want, would bankrupt hundreds of farms and destroy thousands of jobs with chicken companies and allied businesses. It would make chicken we eat a lot more expensive and much harder to find in the grocery store. No one who cares about the future of Maryland's Eastern Shore wants to see that happen.

— The next listening session on the Eastern Shore is Oct. 9 at the Talbot Community Center in Easton, with one online Oct. 24. Both are from 5 to 8 p.m. Additional information is on MDE's website.