Public Records Show Armstrong Farms Cited More Than a Dozen Times for Discharging Polluted Water—Violations Could Spread Avian Flu and Other Diseases
SAN DIEGO - The Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) and a neighbor of Valley Center's Armstrong Farms petitioned the San Diego Regional Water Quality Control Board today seeking enforcement action against the egg factory farm's repeated discharges of manure-tainted water. The petition alleges that, according to public records, one of Armstrong's four San Diego County factory farms has illegally discharged contaminated water onto neighbors' properties and into the county storm water management system on numerous occasions.
"The documents showing pollution coming from Armstrong Farms reveal the true face of egg factory farms in California," said Jonathan Lovvorn, vice president of Animal Protection Litigation at The HSUS. "These huge operations with hundreds of thousands of animals packed into tiny cages cut corners at every turn, and animal welfare, public health, and the environment all suffer as a result."
This petition comes as voters in California decide how to vote on Proposition 2, which is an anti-cruelty measure on the November ballot. If passed, Proposition 2 will prohibit the most abusive factory farming practices in California and ensure modest welfare standards for farm animals by allowing them simply to turn around and stretch their limbs. Armstrong Farms has donated more than $64,000 to the campaign to defeat Proposition 2, and Ryan Armstrong, who co-owns and operates the facility, is one of the only spokespersons for the agribusiness-led opposition to Prop 2.
In August, Armstrong told state legislators that "we don't have anything to hide" at his egg factory farms during a hearing of the Senate and Assembly Committees on Agriculture of the California Legislature. But according to public records, San Diego County officials cited his operation at least 17 times in the past two years for waste water violations and even issued two cease and desist orders in 2007. These violations apparently include illegally flooding neighboring properties with contaminated water and illegally connecting pipes on his property to dump waste water directly into county storm water drains. Despite the citations and co-owner and operator Alan Armstrong's admission in records that he knows these discharges are "wrong," the pollution apparently continues to occur regularly.
In addition to the cited violations of local law, Armstrong's discharges may also violate the federal Clean Water Act, which regulates discharges from large factory farms as well as storm water system discharges.
Public records obtained by The HSUS state that some of the water Armstrong discharges originates from sprinkler systems installed above the tiny wire cages that confine the egg laying hens. Manure from these birds simply falls under the caged hens into enormous piles that are apparently only removed twice per year. The sprinkler water then apparently soaks the manure beneath the hens and much of it eventually flows off Armstrong's property — carrying with it the threat of spreading virulent diseases, including avian influenza. Avian flu is spread primarily through poultry feces and the virus can survive in surface water for months. This means that contaminated water can potentially infect other animals and humans long after it has left Armstrong's facility.
"Studies have shown that water coming into contact with chicken excrement can contain bacteria capable of causing serious human illness, including multi-drug resistant E. coli, Salmonella, Campylobacter, and even VRE, vancomycin-resistant enterococci, one of the most dangerous of the newly emerging 'superbugs,'" said Dr. Michael Greger, The HSUS's director of public health and animal agriculture. "Additionally, studies have shown that operations cramming birds into cages have 20 times the odds of Salmonella contamination compared to cage-free farms. It's time to phase out these inhumane and unsafe confinement practices."
The Armstrong neighbor who joins The HSUS on its petition has asked to remain anonymous to protect his privacy and safety, and has said that nearly every day in the summer and periodically in the winter for the past several years his property is inundated with manure-smelling gray water carrying chicken feathers, and on occasion, even dead hens. Despite his repeated complaints, the situation has never improved and he fears that the contaminated water will pollute his well water — the property's only source of fresh water — and that it may sicken or kill his prized Holesteiner horses. In addition, according to public records, Armstrong's discharged poultry waste sometimes reaches other neighbors' land as well.
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The Humane Society of the United States is the nation's largest animal protection organization — backed by 10.5 million Americans, or one of every 30. For more than a half-century, The HSUS has been fighting for the protection of all animals through advocacy, education and hands-on programs. Celebrating animals and confronting cruelty — On the web at humanesociety.org.
