Because of the low quality of environmental impact reports, requests forintegrated permits, and decisions on environmental conditions forinvestment permits and integrated permits granted to investors, it isincreasingly difficult to carry out a reliable environmental diagnosis,whereas the actual environmental condition in the area of the plannedinvestments involving high-density livestock production is increasinglyomitted in the decision-making process.
Asa result, some high-density livestock farms are located close to NATURA2000 sites and other protected and environmentally unique regions (suchas buffer zones surrounding landscape parks), and designated vulnerablezones where it is necessary to limit nitrogen runoff from agriculturalsource to waters particularly sensitive to pollution with nitrogencompounds (NVZs). Location of livestock farms established prior toPoland?s accession to the EU is another problem as these had beenincorporated and operating under less restrictive regulations in termsof environmental protection, spatial planning and investing conditions.This is also the case with NATURA 2000 sites in Poland, which have beenset up in agricultural and environmental conditions of pre-existinglarge-scale livestock production.
Thereare plenty of examples of such intensive livestock productioninstallations: a livestock farm in Węgrzynów, in the Barycz ValleyLandscape Park, a livestock farm in Chomętów in the buffer zone of theDrawa National Park, a livestock farm in Rogoźno in the middle of theProtected Landscape Area of the Osa and Gardęga Valley, 100m away fromthe Osa Valley Nature Reserve, and a livestock farm in Lubcz, 1 km awayfrom the Rogowo Lakes Protected Area.
Country-wide,livestock density in high density livestock operations located inprotected areas (where specific restrictions apply) is lower thanoutside these zones; however, they generate as much as 57% revenue fromlivestock production, mainly ruminants and poultry. Also, these farmsare on average around 7% larger (in area) and around 12% more economicalthan equivalent farms located outside the protection areas.