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Nearly 30,000 gallon hog waste spill impacts North Carolina creek

PRE News & Ideas | By Annette Weston-Riggs
Published January 30, 2023 at 11:19 AM EST
The porcine epidemic diarrhea virus, or PEDv, swept through this hog barn on Riley Lewis' farm in Forest City, Iowa. Lewis says the higher price he's getting at market for the hogs he sells is making up for the smaller number of animals he's been able to raise this summer.
(Photo: Amy Mayer, Iowa Public Radio)
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Iowa Public Radio
File — Nearly 30,000 gallons of hog waste was released from a lagoon in Bladen County.

Nearly 30,000 gallons of hog waste was released from a lagoon in Bladen County.

Officials with the North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality Division of Water Resources say the animal waste was released from Murphy-Brown Farm and clean-up efforts are underway.

DWR was notified of a pipe failure Friday night which led to the release of the waste.

Investigators found waste was observed approximately 0.69 miles from the secondary containment on the facility. However, waste in the creek appeared to be contained in the area by a beaver dam.

DWR is continuing to inspect the site as the clean-up continues and will take action depending on the results of the investigation.
Annette Weston-Riggs
Annette is originally a Midwest gal, born and raised in Michigan, but with career stops in many surrounding states, the Pacific Northwest, and various parts of the southeast. She has been involved in the media industry in eastern North Carolina for more than three years. An award-winning journalist and mother of four, Annette moved to ENC to be closer to family – in particular, her two young grandchildren. It’s possible that a -27 day with a -68 windchill in Minnesota may have also played a role in that decision. In her spare time, Annette does a lot of toddler and baby cuddling, reading, designing costumes for children’s theater and producing the coolest Halloween costumes anyone has ever seen. She has also worked as a diversity and inclusion facilitator serving school districts and large corporations. It’s the people that make this beautiful area special, and she wants to share those stories that touch the hearts of others. If you have a story idea to share, please reach out by email to westona@cravencc.edu.
See stories by Annette Weston-Riggs