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by Molly Armus, Friends of the Earth animal agriculture policy program manager, and Maria Payan, Sentinels of Eastern Shore Health executive director
Last month, Gov. Wes Moore signed a new executive order creating a “whole of government” approach to environmental justice in order to address pollution in disproportionately exposed communities. With the state’s water discharge permit for animal feeding operations up for renewal, Gov. Moore and the Maryland Department of the Environment have a timely opportunity to deliver on that promise by protecting overburdened rural communities, who are often left out of conversations around environmental justice, from factory farm pollution.
Across the Eastern Shore, large-scale industrial poultry operations collectively raise nearly 300 million chickens a year. Their manure — more than 500 million pounds annually — doesn’t just vanish. It pollutes the air, causing overwhelming odors, and groundwater, threatening local drinking water and the health of the Chesapeake Bay. Communities of color and low-income communities often live closest to concentrated animal feeding operations and bear the brunt of this intense pollution.
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