USPOULTRY To Hold Environmental Management Seminar

USPOULTRY's Environmental Management Seminar will examine current and emerging issues related to water quality, air emissions and overall regulatory compliance to ensure that poultry environmental managers can effectively respond to factors that may impact regulatory compliance. Sponsored by USPOULTRY, this year's conference will be held Sept. 24-25, at the Hilton Sandestin Beach Golf Resort & Spa in Destin, Fla. 

 

"Water quality, stormwater, wastewater, air emissions and regulatory compliance are all issues that poultry and egg industry environmental managers face on a daily basis. It is imperative, now more than ever, for industry managers to identify and implement best management practices to effectively tackle these ever-changing challenges. 

 

Environmental stewardship is a day to day responsibility. By developing plans and investing in resources, we can stay one step ahead," said program committee chairperson Brenda Flick, Sanderson Farms. 

 

The program will include a Policy/Regulatory Update; General Duty Clause Compliance; Permit Pitfalls; Air Permitting Requirements for Poultry and Egg Facilities; Clean Water Award Winners Virtual Plant Tours; Sodium Hypochloride Storage Requirements; TRI Reporting for the Poultry and Egg Industry; Final Wastewater Effluent Disinfection Systems; Stormwater Treatment Challenges and Technology; Biosolids Handling Opportunities; and Microbial Intervention Chemicals Use and Effects on Wastewater, Quaternary Use in Biological Nutrient Removal Plants, and a Case Study on the Environmental Impact of Quaternary Compound Use. 

 

Video: Swine Industry Advances: Biodigesters Lower Emissions and Increase Profits

Analysis of greenhouse gas (GHG emissions) in the Canadian swine sector found that CH4 emissions from manure were the largest contributor to the overall emissions, followed by emissions from energy use and crop production.

This innovative project, "Improving Swine Manure-Digestate Management Practices Towards Carbon Neutrality With Net Zero Emission Concepts," from Dr. Rajinikanth Rajagopal, under Swine Cluster 4, seeks to develop strategies to mitigate greenhouse gas emissions.

While the management of manure can be very demanding and expensive for swine operations, it can also be viewed as an opportunity for GHG mitigation, as manure storage is an emission source built and managed by swine producers. Moreover, the majority of CH4 emissions from manure occur during a short period of time in the summer, which can potentially be mitigated with targeted intervention.

In tandem with understanding baseline emissions, Dr. Rajagopal's work focuses on evaluating emission mitigation options. Manure additives have the potential of reducing manure methane emissions. Additives can be deployed relatively quickly, enabling near-term emission reductions while biodigesters are being built. Furthermore, additives can be a long-term solution at farms where biogas is not feasible (e.g., when it’s too far from a central digester). Similarly, after biodigestion, additives can also be used to further reduce emissions from storage to minimize the carbon intensity of the bioenergy.