Tag: liquid manure

Manure Spreading Pollutes

The government is studying ways to reduce water pollution from
spreading manure on farm fields. Lester Graham reports some experts
believe the way many farmers spread manure is more likely to pollute
lakes and streams:

Transcript

The government is studying ways to reduce water pollution from
spreading manure on farm fields. Lester Graham reports some experts
believe the way many farmers spread manure is more likely to pollute
lakes and streams:


A lot of times, farmers don’t spread manure for fertilizer in the spring because
it can get in the way of opportunities to plant. So, a lot of farmers
spread manure in the winter. But spreading liquid manure on the frozen
ground means it doesn’t get plowed into the soil. Snow and rain can
wash the manure over the frozen dirt and into waterways.


Steve Jann is involved in a study by the Environmental Protection
Agency and the U.S. Department of Ag:


“When that runoff occurs it can carry manure pollutants with it. And
those pollutants when they enter surface waters can kill fish or allow
pathogens to enter surface water.”


And if that river or lake supplies drinking water, it can make people
sick. The study will compare pollution levels in waterways from
manure-spreading in the winter and the spring to see if pollution
from farm fields can be reduced.


For the Environment Report, this is Lester Graham.

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Point-System in the Works for Large Hog Farms

States might soon be taking a new approach when considering permits for huge livestock farms. The Great Lakes Radio Consortium’s Lester Graham has more:

Transcript

States might soon be taking a new approach when considering permits for huge livestock farms. The Great Lakes Radio Consortium’s Lester Graham reports:


These big livestock growing operations such as hog confinement areas are controversial because they’re smelly and they often have large lagoons of liquid manure. In some cases, that manure leaks into waterways, polluting streams. In Iowa, the Department of Natural Resources is developing an environmental checklist… several dozen things that hog producers can do to score points that make approval of the operation more likely.


They’re things such as keeping the operations far from homes, hospitals, roads and water sources.


Kara Flynn is with the National Pork Producers Council. She says an
Iowa-type plan isn’t necessary for the big pig farms.


“They’re not operating in the 1970’s; they’re operating in 2002. And they’re using technology that allows them to, as best that they can, be environmental or better environmental standards, if you will.”


No other state has gotten this far with such restrictions, but almost every hog-producing state is trying to find a solution to the environmental problems associated with the large confinement farms.


For the Great Lakes Radio Consortium, I’m Lester Graham.