Manure

Environmental Justice addresses the uneven distribution of pollutants in our environment. Pollutants include chemicals and biological substances that cause negative health impacts, but also can include loud or consistent noise, excessive or persistent odors, and inappropriate and intrusive artificial lighting. Where conservation-focused environmentalism may be concerned with the impact of industry on local and global ecosystems, justice-oriented environmentalism is concerned with who is impacted by the negative effects of industry, where those impacts are felt, and how decisions about the siting of polluting activities are made. We heard about a variety of issues related to agricultural waste management pollution during our interviews across the Eastern Shore, including odors and noise from farm operations and Dissolved Air Flotation (DAF) management, and high nitrate levels in local soil and water.

Composting is a natural, biological process that transforms organic materials into a nutrient-rich soil conditioner called “compost.” Composting involves the controlled aerobic decomposition of organic waste, including kitchen waste (such as fruit, vegetables, and coffee grounds) and yard waste (such as leaves and grass clippings). The composting process produces heat, which decreases pathogens, viable seeds, and the volume of the organic materials. Composting reduces greenhouse gas emissions and allows nutrients from waste to be returned to the agricultural production systems, enhancing the circular bioeconomy.

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The Maryland Animal Waste Assessment and Strategy Plan was created to guide future Animal Waste Technology Fund (AWTF) awards administered by the Maryland Department of Agriculture (MDA). The stated goal of the AWTF is “to encourage the development and implementation of economically feasible technologies that help protect public health and the environment by reducing the amount of nutrients from animal waste to enable farmers to meet nutrient management requirements and provide alternative animal waste management strategies to farmers.” This Assessment and Strategy Plan researched and evaluated animal waste and nutrients in animal waste generated in Maryland (by county). The feasibility of animal waste technologies used in Maryland were evaluated, including anaerobic digestion, gasification, pyrolysis, composting, and manure injection. Policy implications, greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, and economic analyses were documented for animal waste technologies. Interviews, surveys, and focus groups were conducted to gauge understanding and acceptance of the technologies, expected future changes in manure management, and the effect of waste management technologies on surrounding communities through an environmental justice perspective. 

Anaerobic digestion is a technology that transforms waste into renewable energy while reducing greenhouse gas emissions. During anaerobic digestion, biogas is produced from a natural consortium of microbes that break down biodegradable material inside a sealed, oxygen-free reactor. Anaerobic digesters can use a wide range of waste, such as food scraps, manure, crop waste, or sewage sludge. 

As poultry litter operations grow in the Delmarva region, farmers, haulers, and managers face a challenge in handling this low-moisture biomass in an eco-friendly manner. Thermochemical processing is a waste to energy alternative to field application, where solid, low-moisture organic materials are processed into value-added products, including renewable energy. Thermochemical processing includes gasification, pyrolysis, combustion, and incineration. Each process not only reduces the total volume of biomass but also can reduce greenhouse gas emissions associated with anaerobic decomposition and can create beneficial value-added products.