Perdue and Eastern Shore Chicken Farm Trial Begins

When Tina Meyers visited our class in September she mentioned an upcoming case between the Waterkeeper Alliance and Perdue and an Eastern Shore farm. On October 8th the Waterkeeper Alliance, Inc. v. Alan and Kristin Hudson Farm and Perdue Farms, Inc. trial kicked off in the US District Court in Baltimore.

After an aerial shot of a pile of brown material on a farm near Berlin, Maryland and polluted water samples, the Waterkeeper Alliance sued Perdue and its Eastern Shore contractor. The environmental group suspects that waste from 2 chicken houses was getting into nearby ditches which lead into the Cheasepeake Bay. However, Michael Schatzow, Perdue's lawyer, argues that contamination found in the ditches came from the 66 cows on the farm. That would mean good news for Perdue and the Maryland farm because federal law does not regulate pasture runoff. However, Jane F. Barrett, director of the University of Maryland environmental law clinic stated her team found higher levels of contamination near the chicken houses. This illustrates that chicken waste had some contribution to the pollution.

So far Drew Koslow, Choptank Riverkeeper, and Kathy Phillips, a Coastkeeper and Executive Director of Assateague Coastal Trust, have testified. It is estimated that testimonies could take up to 3 weeks.

The next court date is scheduled for October 15th. We'll be following the case, but to find out more about the suit check out this Baltimore Sun update. Triple Pundit and Southern Maryland Online also wrote about the past week's court proceedings.


This post is the 1st installment on the Waterkeeper Alliance, Perdue, and Hudson Farm trial. To read the other parts click the links below:
Part 1:  Perdue and Eastern Shore Chicken Farm Trial Begins 
Part 2: Farming, Pollution, and Animal Cruelty in Perdue, Hudson Farm, and Waterkeeper Alliance Case
Part 3: Damaging, but Not Illegal Pollution in Perdue, Berlin Farm, and Waterkeeper Alliance Trial 

-Ashley