11/10 Letters: SWINE Act is a much-needed solution for hog waste

I applaud the attention to the environmental contamination of hog farm waste and the potential weakening of state regulations governing hog waste disposal given in “Bar too low on hog waste” (Nov. 3). While we should be concerned about any further weakening of industry regulations, we should also be encouraging innovative solutions that could solve this problem once and for all.

One such approach can be found in the Swine Waste Infrastructure and Natural Environment (SWINE) Act introduced by Congressman David Price, which seeks to build on the decades-long effort in North Carolina to develop an environmentally superior technology to replace existing methods of swine waste disposal. Such a technology could be a true “win-win,” dramatically reducing the environmental impact of hog farming and improving animal health while also creating new revenue sources for farmers.

Congressman Price’s bill calls for additional research into swine waste technologies and establishes federal incentives for the installation and operation of technologies that meet certain environmental and economic criteria. Combined with an effective regulatory framework, the SWINE Act offers a sensible solution to a vexing issue that merits bipartisan support. It should not take another Hurricane Floyd for our government to act.

Not ‘fair’ decision

Regarding “Lack of sanctions draws criticism” (Oct. 14): There’s an old saying in journalism that goes something like this: If it looks like a duck, swims like a duck and quacks like a duck, it’s a duck. That means, of course, that no matter what someone with a vested interest says, believe instead the real evidence and go with common sense. That’s good advice. And it’s why nobody should swallow the duck feathers top UNC-Chapel Hill swells have continued to spit out about the interminable fake-classes athletic fraud.

When Chancellor Carol Folt was hired, many had high hopes that she’d be a stand-up sort who’d go down in university history as a great leader. Well, wrongo bongo. Many groaned when she and former provost Jim Dean hammered the brave whistleblower Mary Willingham for telling the truth instead of thanking her for her courage. Recently, Folt erred again when she called the NCAA’s decision not to penalize Carolina “fair.” What’s fair about deceit? Or about cheating? What’s fair about preventing “scholar-athletes” from getting a decent, promised education? And what’s right about pressuring his department to squelch professor Jay Smith’s popular course on sports history?

Make no mistake. If not for tenure, first created centuries ago to protect scholars’ jobs, Smith would have been long gone. Where’s the “honor system” the NCAA claims universities employ to police themselves?

This story was originally published November 9, 2017 at 1:01 PM with the headline "11/10 Letters: SWINE Act is a much-needed solution for hog waste."