Residents complain of pig farm stench

TEWKSBURY, Mass., Sept. 24 (UPI) -- A Massachusetts pig farmer says his neighbors are kicking up a stink about the stench radiating from his property.

A group of citizens in the Tewksbury area are pushing for an Oct. 2 vote on whether to regulate swine farms after numerous complaints about the smell emanating from John Cave Sr.'s farm, which houses more than 900 pigs and holds a 500,000-gallon manure pit, The Boston Globe reported Tuesday.

Organizers said the petition, which is backed by state Sen. Susan Tucker, D-Andover, has already received more than 300 signatures in the town of about 30,000.

"I don't want to lose what I've worked all my life for," Cave said. "It stinks."

Neighbors have said the pig farm was much smaller when they moved to the area. However, Scott Soares, assistant commissioner of agricultural resources, said neighbors should have asked about whether the farm was going to grow before they decided to move in.

"It comes down to people really understanding what agriculture is. It's not a hobby for these folks, it's a way of life," he said.