According to The News&Observer, the rally, which brought residents from 26 counties, was organized by environmental and community groups including the Neuse River Foundation and the N.C. Environmental Justice Network. Those attending chanted, "No more poop."

Air pollution from industrial hog farms harms the daily lives of people near the farms, scientists said in new studies.

"The evidence is people are being exposed to air pollutants from these operations and it is affecting the quality of their lives," said Steven Wing, a health researcher at UNC-Chapel Hill.

North Carolina is the nation's second-largest hog producer. It's estimated that the state is home to 10 million swine on about 2,300 farms, most of them in Eastern North Carolina.

In 2007, the legislature approved a ban on open air waste ponds on new hog farms and set higher standards for waste treatment. But the legislature allowed farmers to keep using existing hog lagoons indefinitely and created a financial incentive program for farmers who want to try new disposal technologies.

View the News&Observer story by clicking here.