Mountaire Farms faces a potential Lawsuit over Well Contamination

(Millsboro, Del) - Mountaire Farms is being threatened with a lawsuit over contamination of well water. In a letter sent by affected residents Mountaire Farms is called on to fix the water contamination problems within the next 90 days, or face legal action. According to the residents, a significant number of wells in the communities adjacent to the company's processing plant routinely test for nitrates at or above the level deemed unsafe by state regulators. The residents go on to claim Mountaire's refusal to adequately address the contamination has also had an effect on the livelihoods of local residents and their enjoyment of their homes. Mountaire's processing facility produces 2.4 million gallons of waste each day. The waste - comprised of manure, feathers, carcasses, organs, blood, dirt and massive amounts of wastewater - is stored in lagoons and then the liquid part of the waste is sprayed onto nearby disposal fields. The groundwater aquifer below the plant is the sole source of drinking water for the surrounding community. Groundwater monitoring has shown serious contamination of the water supply since at least 2000.