Hearing Tuesday about more chicken houses in Mountville

Good afternoon,

 

My name is Elizabeth Testa and I'm the Communications Manager with South Carolina Environmental Law Project. I wanted to send some information on the proposed Little River Poultry Farm in Mountville, and encourage you, if able, to attend and cover the public hearing that is set for Tuesday, April 16 at 6:30pm at the Mountville Fire Department. I know that the saturation of poultry farms in this area is something you have covered in the past!

 

If you'd like additional information or background on this issue and SCELP's advocacy for concerned area citizens, contact our staff attorney Emily Poole, emily@scelp.org. She would be happy to speak with you early next week!

 

Issue Recap 

Two broiler companies have submitted an agricultural permit application to build a total of 16 new poultry barns along the Little River in Mountville, SC. Importantly, Mountville already has nearly 60 poultry barns in the area. Further, the Little River is a designated impaired water body that is subject to a TMDL for fecal coliform, and agricultural operations contribute to the fecal coliform levels in the Little River. A group of concerned residents in the Mountville area, organized into the association South Carolinians for Responsible Agricultural Practices ("SCRAP"), have worked for many years to protect their rural community from the over-proliferation of chicken houses. In fact, SCRAP pursued litigation against the very same broiler companies behind these new proposed barns and received a favorable decision from the South Carolina Court of Appeals in 2022. As these broilers return with a permit application that is just as concerning, SCRAP will continue to advocate for their rural community and its treasures, like the Little River, and see that their area is protected from the pollution and destruction of the countless poultry facilities that have overrun their homes and properties.

 

The public comment period closed on April 3, 2024. The public hearing was set for Tuesday, April 16 at 6:30pm at the Mountville Fire Department. I have attached the notice of the hearing to this email.