ANNAPOLIS, Md. – Maryland regulators will announced tighter controls on what poultry farmer’s on the eastern shore of Chesapeake Bay do with poultry waste.

The rules, to be announced on Friday, were proposed by the Maryland Department of the Environment. They would reportedly bring unprecedented scrutiny of Maryland's poultry industry, which is not subject to certain regulations that apply to dairy and hog farms.

The proposal would limit where, how and for how long chicken farmers may store excess manure in outdoor piles, open to the rain. Also, for the first time, it would permit state officials to inspect poultry farms unannounced, reports said.

The state's farm lobby will be able to comment on the proposed rules during public hearings, including two in November on the Eastern Shore.

Source: Associated Press