New Chicken houses Stalls will be built

The Environmental Protection Agency began regulating Maryland chicken farms in February. Since then, construction of new chicken houses has stalled. New federal regulations have effectively shut down construction of new chicken houses on the Eastern Shore. Pocomoke City farmer Dale Stevens built four state-of-the-art chicken houses last year and wants to build another four. But he says he "can't follow the rules if they don't exist yet."Bill Satterfield, executive director of the Delmarva Poultry Industry Inc., says the new regulations effectively amount to a zero discharge policy. That means the farms would face stiff fines and criminal penalties if they allow any nutrients to enter waterways, regardless of what caused the runoff.