NIGHTSTRIKES
07-29-2004, 12:38 PM
Manure a growing problem in bay
Foundation singles out Sussex County as the top 'hot spot' in bay watershed
By ALEX DOMINGUEZ
Associated Press
07/29/2004
BALTIMORE -- Alternative uses must be found for manure produced by livestock in the Chesapeake Bay watershed and animal feeding practices should be changed to make their waste less polluting, the Chesapeake Bay Foundation recommended in a report released Wednesday.
Agriculture is the largest source of nitrogen and phosphorus in the bay, and manure is the single largest contributor, the foundation said.
"The individual farmer is not to blame," said Will Baker, president of the nonprofit foundation, at a news conference Wednesday. "The individual farmer is the victim of a flawed system. ... It's high time that the meat industry paid its fair share to reduce the pollution."
The report follows a CBF study last year that found two-thirds of sewage treatment plants in Maryland, Virginia, Washington and Pennsylvania use outdated methods to remove nitrogen.
Nitrogen and phosphorus are nutrients that can, in excessive amounts, spur the growth of algae and other organisms that can rob oxygen from the water and harm other bay species, creating dead zones that are devoid of oxygen.
While the amount of manure produced over the past 15 to 20 years has not changed substantially, the amount of nutrients it contains has gone up. That's because chicken manure is higher in nutrients than cow manure, and poultry production has increased while milk and beef production have decreased, the report said.
Agriculture accounts for 42 percent of the nitrogen and 49 percent of the phosphorus, with manure responsible for 18 percent and 25 percent, respectively, the foundation said, citing figures provided by the Chesapeake Bay Program.
However, the increase in poultry production does have a silver lining.
The concentration of modern poultry production in large barns, some containing thousands of birds, allows for the collection of their manure. Cattle, meanwhile, often range freely on open pastures, making their manure difficult, if not impossible, to collect, the foundation said.
The foundation also singled out three manure "hot spots" - Lancaster County, Pa., the Delmarva peninsula, led by Sussex County, Del., and Rockingham County, Va.
Lancaster County contains 1.5 percent of the area in the watershed, but produces 12 percent of the nitrogen from manure sources, more than any other county in the bay's drainage area. The county also produces large amounts of cattle and dairy cows.
Rockingham County is the largest turkey producer in the nation and its animal operations have more excess manure than any other county in the nation, the foundation said.
The foundation's recommendations include reducing the amount of nutrient pollutants in manure by changing animal feeding practices. Some poultry growers, for example, have already changed the composition of their feed, reducing phosphorus levels by 16 percent, and could potentially lower phosphorus 50 percent. New research shows lower nutrient levels in dairy feed could cut pollution from cow manure up to 40 percent, and save money, the report said.
The foundation said it is asking Pennsylvania's governor and Legislature to establish a $10 million pilot program to improve dairy feed efficiency. Each state in the watershed should also establish a similar program tailored to their needs once the Pennsylvania program is completed.
The foundation said it was also calling on bay watershed states to develop, by June 2005, sufficient alternative uses for excess manure, taking into account technology, funding, marketing and implementation needs.
Maryland should develop a broad-based user fee, paid by consumers and businesses, that would provide $25 million annually to ensure the availability of alternative uses and help farmers address manure runoff.
If government doesn't force the meat industry to pay for pollution prevention, officials should consider a tax of a penny per pound of meat or dairy products to raise money for cleanup and research, Baker said.
Foundation singles out Sussex County as the top 'hot spot' in bay watershed
By ALEX DOMINGUEZ
Associated Press
07/29/2004
BALTIMORE -- Alternative uses must be found for manure produced by livestock in the Chesapeake Bay watershed and animal feeding practices should be changed to make their waste less polluting, the Chesapeake Bay Foundation recommended in a report released Wednesday.
Agriculture is the largest source of nitrogen and phosphorus in the bay, and manure is the single largest contributor, the foundation said.
"The individual farmer is not to blame," said Will Baker, president of the nonprofit foundation, at a news conference Wednesday. "The individual farmer is the victim of a flawed system. ... It's high time that the meat industry paid its fair share to reduce the pollution."
The report follows a CBF study last year that found two-thirds of sewage treatment plants in Maryland, Virginia, Washington and Pennsylvania use outdated methods to remove nitrogen.
Nitrogen and phosphorus are nutrients that can, in excessive amounts, spur the growth of algae and other organisms that can rob oxygen from the water and harm other bay species, creating dead zones that are devoid of oxygen.
While the amount of manure produced over the past 15 to 20 years has not changed substantially, the amount of nutrients it contains has gone up. That's because chicken manure is higher in nutrients than cow manure, and poultry production has increased while milk and beef production have decreased, the report said.
Agriculture accounts for 42 percent of the nitrogen and 49 percent of the phosphorus, with manure responsible for 18 percent and 25 percent, respectively, the foundation said, citing figures provided by the Chesapeake Bay Program.
However, the increase in poultry production does have a silver lining.
The concentration of modern poultry production in large barns, some containing thousands of birds, allows for the collection of their manure. Cattle, meanwhile, often range freely on open pastures, making their manure difficult, if not impossible, to collect, the foundation said.
The foundation also singled out three manure "hot spots" - Lancaster County, Pa., the Delmarva peninsula, led by Sussex County, Del., and Rockingham County, Va.
Lancaster County contains 1.5 percent of the area in the watershed, but produces 12 percent of the nitrogen from manure sources, more than any other county in the bay's drainage area. The county also produces large amounts of cattle and dairy cows.
Rockingham County is the largest turkey producer in the nation and its animal operations have more excess manure than any other county in the nation, the foundation said.
The foundation's recommendations include reducing the amount of nutrient pollutants in manure by changing animal feeding practices. Some poultry growers, for example, have already changed the composition of their feed, reducing phosphorus levels by 16 percent, and could potentially lower phosphorus 50 percent. New research shows lower nutrient levels in dairy feed could cut pollution from cow manure up to 40 percent, and save money, the report said.
The foundation said it is asking Pennsylvania's governor and Legislature to establish a $10 million pilot program to improve dairy feed efficiency. Each state in the watershed should also establish a similar program tailored to their needs once the Pennsylvania program is completed.
The foundation said it was also calling on bay watershed states to develop, by June 2005, sufficient alternative uses for excess manure, taking into account technology, funding, marketing and implementation needs.
Maryland should develop a broad-based user fee, paid by consumers and businesses, that would provide $25 million annually to ensure the availability of alternative uses and help farmers address manure runoff.
If government doesn't force the meat industry to pay for pollution prevention, officials should consider a tax of a penny per pound of meat or dairy products to raise money for cleanup and research, Baker said.