This video segment adapted from FRONTLINE: “Poisoned Waters” describes the problem of water pollution from chicken waste. On the Chesapeake Bay’s Eastern Shore, large-scale chicken farms dominate the landscape. These factory farms produce a bountiful supply of cheap chicken, but also an excess of chicken manure. Runoff from these farms, which is largely unregulated, flows into rivers that pollute the bay. While chicken farmers and chicken companies debate who should be responsible for the waste, the industry has successfully resisted pollution control regulations, arguing that voluntary practices are better.
This media asset was adapted from FRONTLINE: "Poisoned Waters".