City of Wilson Fights Poultry Plant

Resolution outlines problems with proposed Nash County chicken slaughterhouse Monday, November 15, 2010 / News via City of Wilson website: The following resolution was approved unanimously by the Wilson City Council on November 10. RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF WILSON OPPOSING CHICKEN SLAUGHTERHOUSE AND DESIGNATING UP TO $1,000,000 TO OPPOSE THREAT TO CITY’S WATER SUPPLY

WHEREAS, the City of Wilson’s public water supply is one of its most valuable assets, obtained after extensive planning, foresight and at great cost; and

WHEREAS, the City of Wilson has invested in excess of $50,000,000, without financial assistance from any state or federal resources, in order to acquire, construct and maintain a high quality and abundant public water supply; and

WHEREAS, the City’s water supply has served to benefit the citizens of both Wilson County and Nash County; and

WHEREAS, the Nash County Commissioners have rezoned certain property to accommodate the construction of a chicken slaughterhouse operation in Nash County and in close proximity to the border with Wilson County, near the city limits of the City of Wilson; and

WHEREAS, the chicken slaughterhouse will require the building of hundreds of chicken houses in the vicinity thereof to provide an adequate supply of chickens for its operations; and

WHEREAS, the slaughterhouse business has been operating covertly and through a third party to acquire options in lands located within the City of Wilson’s watershed for the purpose of spraying chicken waste on the ground; and

WHEREAS, the waste generated from the slaughterhouse is proposed to be piped from the slaughterhouse to the optioned lands located within the City of Wilson’s water supply watershed where it will then be sprayed on the ground; and

WHEREAS, the proposed slaughterhouse operation and its accompanying waste disposal requirements will cause problems with odor, flies, respiratory issues, and adverse impacts to the City’s water quality, thus negatively impacting the quality of life of the citizens of the City of Wilson; and

WHEREAS, the City of Wilson is opposed to extensive sprayfield operations within its public water supply watershed and is opposed to any land uses that would potentially have an adverse impact on the City’s public water supply or quality of life; and

WHEREAS, no notice was provided by Nash County to the City of Wilson regarding the County’s plans to support a chicken slaughterhouse operation in close proximity to the Wilson and Nash County line; and

WHEREAS, no notice was provided by Nash County to the City of Wilson regarding the County’s plans to support grant funding for the chicken slaughterhouse to construct a pipeline to allow the slaughterhouse company to transfer its waste stream over 6 miles away from the City of Rocky Mount’s public water supply watershed for the purpose of spraying and discharging its waste stream into the City of Wilson public water supply watershed; and

WHEREAS, the City of Wilson has requested that Nash County delay the chicken slaughterhouse project to allow time for the City to study the potential impacts to its water supply and water quality, air quality, social and other environmental impacts; and

WHEREAS, Nash County has denied the City of Wilson’s request that the chicken slaughterhouse project be delayed.

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF WILSON that, based on the information currently available, the lack of notice, the time constraints presented, concern for its multi-million dollar water supply investment which serves over 50,000 people, and concern for the health, safety and quality of life of its citizens, the City of Wilson opposes the proposed slaughterhouse operation, the proliferation of chicken houses and the associated discharge and spray of chicken waste within the City’s water supply watershed.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the City of Wilson pledges its full efforts to oppose any operations of the slaughterhouse project and its associated impacts within the City’s public water supply watershed.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the City of Wilson will not serve as a water supplier to any entity who directly or indirectly supplies water to an end user whose operations are likely to be a source of adverse impacts to the City of Wilson’s water supply watershed. 

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the City Council hereby designates an initial allocation of up to $1,000,000 of the City’s General Fund resources to oppose the slaughterhouse project and any adverse impacts on the City’s public water supply. 

Duly adopted this 10th day of November, 2010. 

CITY OF WILSON

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C. Bruce Rose, Mayor

ATTEST:

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Rebecca D. Rose, City Clerk