PETA urges eBay founder to call off plans for Kauai dairy farm

KAUAI (HawaiiNewsNow) - In a letter to eBay founder Pierre Omidyar, an animals rights group called upon the billionaire to scrap plans for a Kauai dairy farm, citing environmental and animal safety concerns.

The group People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, more commonly known at PETA, said the proposed farm on Kauai's south shore would pollute waters with animal waste, and could reach Kauai shorelines, like nearby Mahaulepu beach.

"With only 10 percent of the island accessible by car, visitors and locals alike cherish the beauty of its natural environment, where they can hike, kayak, and enjoy the outdoors," the letter reads. "A dairy operation — which creates manure runoff as well as odors and which has the potential to contaminate groundwater used for drinking — is contrary to everything that Kauai is."

There has been much debate over the proposed farm.

In March, the permits for the controversial dairy were revoked after a lawsuit alleged construction began before an Environmental Impact Statement was completed.

There were also issues with the farm's runoff permitting, as requests for additional time to answer questions about runoff implications was denied.

On the Big Island, a dairy was fined $25,000 after unlawful discharge of waste into nearby water sources.

PETA also said the practices within dairies were harmful to the health and well being of the cows in captivity.

Instead, PETA suggested Omidyar to look into building a plant-based dairy as that industry is "thriving."

Omidyar hasn't yet responded to the letter.

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