Environmental complaint received 2021-06-25 14:00:00
Source: Kelley Haddock
Source location: 606 McCollum Road
Barnesville, Georgia 30204
Complaint location: 606 McCollum Road
Barnesville, Georgia 30204

Dear Karen,
Several times a week, my home and family farm is engulfed in a plume of stinky smoke with ash particulates from the neighboring poultry farm. Needless to say, this is obviously unhealthy, does not qualify as quality air to breath, and does not meet acceptable living standards. I have talked to the DNR EPD about it before, and was informed that this form of pollution was outside the scope of authority of the EPD. I was then directed to the dept of agriculture, who informed me that they only license the incinerators, do not handle the pollution caused by the incinerators or misuse of the incinerators, and then directed me back to the EPD.

What I am attempting to accomplish is to prevent my farm from being filled with smoke, and to preserve the quality of the natural resources within my farm and around it. Taking the poultry farm to court in order to receive compensation for damages undergone, is an extremely costly venture to undertake, will breed further hostility in this small community, and most importantly will not necessarily guarantee the safety of our farm from further exposure to toxins produced by the poultry farm. Homes that have been handed down from one generation to the next carry a large amount of personal attachment that cannot be compensated for through financial means. So, to file for suit against the poultry company, might be a necessary action, but not necessarily a productive one.

What I am having difficulty finding out is how are huge farms of this size exempt from following pollution guidelines that only seem decent and common place for other forms of industry? More importantly, I do not know why pollution of this nature appears to be completely uninhibited from occurring, and/or why does poultry production get the proverbial "get out of jail free" card and other less apparent forms of pollution not? To place into context, one receives a fine for littering, yet what is occurring on my farm to my family can occur without repercussions.

I know that our situation is an exception to the rule and is the result of excessiveness and not common place, but I have difficulty accepting that there is no action that can be taken to end this other than by potentially ineffective personal legal action. The EPD representative I talked with mentioned that the smoke and debris is a direct result of the farm overloading the incinerators beyond the recommended limits. This is obviously negligence, but legally can only be dealt with by seeking repayment for damages. Why is that, and is there really no agency that can put a stop to this?

Sincerely,
William Ingram