The Associated Press reported last week that, “Smithfield Foods was found responsible Friday for a fifth time for nuisances neighbors suffered from waste generated by thousands of the company’s hogs. Jurors determined the pork giant should pay $420,000 after four previous juries awarded nearly $550 million in penalties.
“Most of the damages awarded were intended to punish Smithfield Foods for its actions, but a state law limiting the size of punitive awards means they are automatically capped.
“Friday’s verdict was the second time a jury heard about intense smells, clouds of flies and other conditions around the same Duplin County [North Carolina] operation that raised about 5,000 of the company’s animals.”
The AP article indicated that, “Agricultural interests and sympathetic politicians have warned the lawsuits threaten all farmers if whopping penalties can be slapped on operations that are regulated and annually inspected as North Carolina hog operations are.”
“Environmental advocates have cheered the big penalties as finally forcing pork producers to acknowledge long-standing complaints from neighbors and claims that animal waste has polluted waterways,” the AP article said.
