Study: Franklin County at Increasing Risk from Corporate Factory Farms

CONTACT:
Thomas Linzey, Esq.
709-0457

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Shippensburg (8/1) - The Franklin County Coalition and the Community Environmental Legal Defense Fund (CELDF) released a study today which finds that Franklin County is at increasing risk from corporate factory farms. The Study, which surveyed all concentrated farm operations in the County, used statistics and information provided by the Franklin County Conservation District and the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.

The Study found that of the forty-five (45) concentrated farming operations in Franklin County, almost half were already owned by corporations. Of those operations, over 80% were owned by out-of-County corporations. These out-of-County corporations included companies from Silver Spring, Maryland; Lititz, Pennsylvania; Denver, Pennsylvania, Elizabethtown, and Clearville. The Study listed each of these operations with their corresponding corporate owner and operating address.

The Study also examined one year’s worth of Complaints which had been filed with the Franklin County Conservation District against concentrated farming operations. Of the Complaints filed, all were filed against out-of-County corporations, including White Oak Mills, Inc. which operates a hog factory in Lurgan Township and against Path Valley Farms, Inc., which operates in Fannett Township.

The Study concludes with a warning to Franklin County Townships that concentrated, corporate owned farming operations constitute a threat to the health, safety, and welfare of Township residents because of their potential to devalue property, their capacity for air and water pollution, and because out-of-County corporations have less reason to serve as good neighbors to Franklin County residents.

Tom Linzey, coordinator of the Franklin County Coalition, stated that “these corporate owned farms are a threat to the quality of life of Franklin County residents - especially in those Townships which lack any zoning controls over where these facilities operate. If folks care about the future of this County, this problem needs to be dealt with immediately.”

Southampton Township, Franklin County, is currently considering passage of an Ordinance which would ban corporate ownership of farms. A similar Ordinance has been adopted in several Fulton County Townships, and statewide legislation which bans corporate ownership of farms has been adopted by nine midwestern states. The Southampton Township Supervisors decide whether to advertise the Ordinance on August 8th at 7:00 p.m.