Pig Business Statement re: proposed mega pig factory farm in Foston, Derbyshire
28th October 2011
Intensive mega- piggeries such as the one being proposed in Foston, Derbyshire for 25,000 pigs are not the direction in which British farming should be heading. They cause pigs to suffer and are a danger to people’s health. This is an industrial scale development on greenfield land. The alleged sustainability of the development is based on the anaerobic digestor which requires 45,000 tonnes of waste to be driven to the site annually by HGVs, which will result in significant noise and air pollution. There has been overwhelming local opposition, with over 13,000 objections and 10,000 people signing our online petition.
Regarding the Environment Agency’s position, please note that they state that ‘the requirements for a permit are outside the scope of this consultation’ and that ‘Local views will be sought as part of the permitting process and given the extreme proximity of some receptor dwellings the proposed mitigation measures for noise, vibration, odour and light will need to reviewed and updated as time goes on in line with technological advances to meet public expectations.’ Source
After receiving thousands of letters about the potential risks to human health, Derbyshire County Council added the Health Protection Agency to the list of consultees, who stated that ‘the application does not provide detailed analysis and risk assessment of potential point source and fugitive emissions to air, of odour; particulate matter; ammonia; bioaerosols; or emissions from the proposed CHP plant.’ These potential health risks, and the risk of antibiotic resistance, are enormous.
The HPA goes on to say that: ‘Recent research has found that those living up to 150m downwind of an intensive farming installation could be at risk of adverse human health effects associated with exposure to multi- drug resistant organisms’. Source p.27
This site which will be just 130 metres from a women’s prison and natal unit as well as other residential buildings.
Tracy Worcester, Director of Pig Business says: “Although this planned farm claims it will be more environment and animal welfare friendly, the pigs will live in a cocktail of gases from biodegrading faeces, and will need constant dosing with antibiotics. Overuse of antibiotics in factory farming has already helped cause many human diseases like e-coli, salmonella, campylobacter and the pig strain of MRSA to become resistant to antibiotics. Almost everyone who lives in the area is up in arms as the pathogens are not completely destroyed by the anaerobic digester and can escape through the double filter into the surrounding environment.”
Midland Pig Producers have been claiming 97% efficiency for the removal of odour and ammonia from the slurry, but the manufacturers’ brochure for the air scrubbing equipment which MPP plan to install in the pig sheds- the Dutchman MagixX system, claims to stop up to 80% of odour, 90% of ammonia and 90% of germs and endotoxins (pdf attached).
This means that odours of the equivalent of 5000 pigs, and germs and endotoxins equivalent to that of 2500 pigs would be emitted.
Please see the newly published report by Planning Consultants DPDS who outline in detail why the application should be refused.
We hope that at the meeting on the 1st of November 2011 South Derbyshire District Councillors will join the Parish Council, local MP, Soil Association, Friends of the Earth and others in opposing this proposal.