r and can cause methemoglobinemia or “blue baby syndrome.” This rare but potentially fatal disease causes intestinal bacteria to metabolize the nitrates to nitrites, which oxidize the iron in hemoglobin, making it incapable of binding oxygen. Babies that are less than six months old are particularly susceptible to this syndrome because their digestive tracts are less acidic than those of adults. In North Carolina, the water table is only 15-20 feet below the surface of the soil and 25 percent of the lagoons dip below the water table, so groundwater contamination is one of the greatest concerns. In 1994, Doctor Maolin Zheng of Clemson University’s Department of Agricultural Engineering studied 36 hog waste lagoons and found that 65 percent of them leaked into the groundwater. Another source of water contamination is runoff from the fields where livestock waste is applied. Over spraying fields with liquid animal waste can lead to excessive odor and to runoff in nearby streams. Too much spray also leads to drift through the air, which carries odor.C. Relations with BGSAs is the case with almost any public issue, the economics contributions and burdens of concerned industries must be considered. The problem here is a complicated one. The swine, dairy and poultry industries contribute much to North Carolina and its citizens in the way of employment, tax revenue and subsidiary industries. On the other hand, these industries can have negative economic impacts on the state by decreasing revenue from other sources, such as real estate sales, commercial and sport fishing, and tourism. Agriculture is the largest industry in North Carolina, and swine, poultry and dairy farming make up about 50 percent of total farming receipts. Poultry and eggs comprise 30 percent; swine makes up 15 percent, and dairy farming 3 percent. This adds significant amounts to the tax base in many otherwise impoverished counties.These industries also...
