Why does the Mass. Farm Bureau Federation have its facts wrong about us and House Bill 3818?
According to the “Legislative White Paper”, published by the Massachusetts Farm Bureau Federation, the neighbors of this factory hog operation “have been unable to shut it down.” This is just not true. We haven’t tried to shut down the farm. People from good farms that appreciate the importance of co-existing with neighbors need to know that you are being misled. The Massachusetts Farm Bureau Federation says our bill (the Home Rule Petition that passed overwhelmingly at Town Meeting) “is perhaps the largest threat facing agriculture statewide at the moment.” All other industries have regulations. There are two swine operations in Tewksbury • One built a 1500-head Finisher Building – industrial hog facility – 590 feet from neighbors without any permits or notification? • …spread and compost millions of gallons of hog waste in a high water table area already impacted by toxic dump sites? • …have a long history of raising animals for human consumption next to THREE toxic waste areas.
