Sanford undecided on veto

House and Senate likely to override veto of measure to loosen county restrictions

By SAMMY FRETWELL

sfretwell@thestate.com

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Gov. Mark Sanford has not decided whether to veto a bill that loosens regulation of factory-style poultry farms, which anchor the state’s farm economy but produce powerful odors that upset neighbors.

The House voted 94-11 Wednesday to ban county laws that require substantial distances between poultry farms and people’s homes. Last month, the Senate voted 29-7 for the bill restricting county regulation, saying state rules are strong enough.

If those votes hold up, any veto Sanford might cast could be overridden. It takes a two-thirds vote of both the House and the Senate to override a veto.

Opponents of the bill have vowed to continue their fight and hope to sway legislators against overriding a veto.

Sanford spokesman Joel Sawyer said the governor will look at the bill before deciding on a veto.

Agricultural groups are on the verge of having a bill that they’ve sought for more than 10 years become law. The legislation nullifies a handful of county poultry farm laws that are stricter than the state’s animal farm law. It also prevents other counties from adopting similar laws.

The S.C. Poultry Federation and the S.C. Farm Bureau say county laws are so strict that they’re preventing chicken and turkey-farming in some counties. Orangeburg and Kershaw, one of the state’s top turkey-producing counties, are among those with strict local ordinances.

But critics say counties should have the right to protect citizens from odors and pollution when state laws are inadequate.

Rep. Joe Neal, D-Richland, said bird farms in other states have created environmental problems that threaten people’s health and natural resources. The farms can disrupt neighborhoods and pollute drinking water, Neal said.

“We have a responsibility to look out for those individuals who have invested their life’s work into a home or a community,” Neal said. “Unless we’re careful, we’re going to swing wide the gates of South Carolina to an explosion in the poultry industry.”

The poultry industry pales when compared to neighboring states, but it already is South Carolina’s top farm business. Broiler chickens generate more than $500 million annually in cash receipts. The state has more than 800 chicken and turkey farms permitted by the S.C. Department of Health and Environmental Control.

During the past five years, however, the state has gotten more than 400 complaints against slaughterhouses and animal farms, including turkey and chicken farms.

Farm Bureau spokesman Reggie Hall said the organization “is extremely pleased for the agriculture community’’ that the House voted to ban the county laws.

Farm bureau lobbyist Gary Spires said last week that the legislation does not prevent counties from zoning against having agriculture in certain areas. It only restricts county animal farm laws that provide greater setbacks between farms and homes, he said.

The S.C. Poultry Federation launched efforts to loosen the law more than 10 years ago, but the bill was often amended, which bogged it down. This year, the bill did not include stripping counties of regulations against mega hog farms, which are major pollution threats.

Reach Fretwell at (803) 771-8537.