The public deserves clean, safe water. Clean water in our food and drinks, clean water in our streams, and clean water in the Chesapeake Bay.

Perdue contributes significantly to water pollution in Maryland, and therefore Perdue should pay its fair share to help restore our waterways and the bay ("Perdue: Chicken waste handled in environmentally responsible manner", April 6).

The key problem with manure is that there's too much of it. According to a recent analysis by Water Stewardship Inc., the poultry industry in Maryland generates 300,000 tons of surplus manure with 4,000 more tons of phosphorus than needed to grow all the crops in the major poultry producing counties.

For decades Perdue has passed the buck, but the manure created by their chickens should be its responsibility.

Tommy Landers, Baltimore

The writer is a policy advocate for Environment Maryland.