The Oklahoma Department of Agriculture took action to limit both the placement and expansion opportunities for the state’s chicken farms.
The department approved new rules covering the locations of chicken farms relative to schools, homes, and water sources.
The new provisions include a grandfather clause and won’t apply to current farms that were in operation before October of 2018.
The meat industry website Meating Place Dot Com says the new rules say farms with fewer than 150,000 chickens must be at least 500 feet from homes.
Larger chicken farms must be set up at least 1,000 feet from nearby homes.
All chicken farms must also be 500 feet from public wells, 100 feet from private wells, and 200 feet from the nearest streams. There were previously no regulations in place on poultry housing locations.
At least one advocacy group doesn’t think the new regulations go far enough.
The Green Country Guardians say on their Facebook page that the new limits won’t be enough to protect homes, schools, and water sources.
The new regulations must be approved by the Oklahoma legislature and signed by the governor. If that happens, the new rules could take effect as soon as September.
