Maryland Bill to Ban Arsenic in Chicken May Die—Unless We Act Now

"This is an issue that makes sense to ten out of ten people," Maryland's Del. Tom Hucker recently told the Baltimore Sun. Hucker was referring to legislation that would ban the state's poultry farmers from feeding their birds roxarsone, an arsenic-based feed additive that reportedly can cause human health problems and environmental damage. Apparently, Hucker was wrong about how much sense the bills make to Maryland's lawmakers.

The chairwomen of Maryland's House and Senate Environment Committees, Delegate Maggie McIntosh and Senator Joan Carter-Conway, are trying to delay the vote on the bills to ban roxarsone, SB 417 and HB 754. In order for this proposed legislation to stand a chance of becoming law, it must pass at least one chamber before March 28th. To get to the full floor, though, HB 754 and SB 417 must first pass the House and Senate Environment Committees. If McIntosh and Carter-Conway push the vote back beyond this week, it could be the death knell for the bills to ban arsenic.

Let's just say that the death of this bill could usher in a lot more death and destruction. Because trace amounts of arsenic from roxarsone linger in chickens' flesh, consumers are exposed to serious health risks just by eating poultry regularly.

Even small, chronic doses of arsenic have been shown to cause cancers, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and other problems. Just to put this issue into perspective, one study (pdf) from the Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy (IATP) found that the majority of supermarket chicken (about 55 percent) contained detectable levels of arsenic,while 100 percent of fast food chicken sampled contained the poison. Killing the roxarsone ban could very well kill us.

Failing to ban roxarsone's use also has implications for the environment. The majority of roxarsone's arsenic is excreted through chickens' waste. Most farmers use this manure as fertilizer, spreading it over their crop fields. But when arsenic leaches out of the chicken manure, it can poison soil, wildlife, groundwater, and aquatic organisms. It also taints an already-polluted body of water, the Chesapeake Bay. According to Food & Water Watch, some wells on both sides of the Chesapeake Bay showed arsenic levels 13 times higher than the Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) allowable limit.

As Hucker commented earlier, eliminating arsenic from the food supply is a common-sense measure. Del. McIntosh is a co-sponsor of the House version of the bill, so it's especially surprising that even she is pushing for a delay on the vote. Some say that Big Ag lobbyists are pressuring lawmakers to make HB 754 and SB 417 disappear, and given the about-face that some of them are doing, it's clear that this could very well be the case.

Food & Water Watch is encouraging Maryland residents to contact Del. McIntosh's office directly and encourage her to vote on HB 754 this week. Folks can also email her directory at maggie.mcintosh@house.state.md.us.

People across the nation can help support the efforts to ban arsenic in chicken by signing Change.org's petition urging Maryland lawmakers to support HB 754 and SB 417. These bills may be state legislation, but the use of roxarsone is an issue for anyone who eats chicken. Push lawmakers to support HB 754 and SB 417 — before it's too late.

Photo credit: snowpea&bokchoi via Flickr