A2O-Lancaiter Fanning, Saturday. Dacambar 23, 1995
Edwin Shank, dairy and
swine producer, emphasized
the importance of Involving
the community In decisions
and allow them to see and
understand how a farm oper
ation works. It Is Important to
talk to neighbors first and
find out what they think.
Manure ‘Odor Guidelines’
(Continued from Pago Al 7)
Hire sources totals one billion
metric tons.
‘The controversy became so heated that in
1993 a bill was introduced in the state
legislature that could have, if passed, put
severe restrictions on the swine industry,*
As a result. North Carolina State
University has had to study the
issues and come up with solutions
to odor control problems. The con
troversy became so heated that in
1993 a bill was introduced in the
state legislature that could have, if
passed, put severe restrictions on
the swine industry. Instead, a bill
was passed to start a study com
mission, the Swine Odor Task
Force. The task force is adminis
tered through several agencies,
especially the Animal and Poultry
Waste Management Center, of
which Williams directs.
The task force began in July
1993 to study the problem, evalu
ate how to examine the odors and
the process by which they form,
discover ways to record their
effects on humans, look at odor
abatement technology, and make
recommendations that would be
economically feasible for
‘lt’s a very complex, scientific issue as
well as a psychological issue,*
producers.
One of the first things the task
force discovered are the miscon
ceptions about odors. How are
they produced? How do we mea
sure them? What can be done to
control them?
MARYLAND
One suggestion was to research
ways to get animals to better use
feed nutrients and produce less
wasted by-products. But more
work is needed.
* ‘We are a long way from select
ing animals and producing animals
that can utilize all of the nutrients
that we put in feedstuffs,” said
Williams.
For one thing, the Clean Air Act
does not regulate agricultural
odors. Only in a few parts of the
country are there actual odor reg
ulations compared to Europe
and Australia, who have adoptal
stringent odor control legislation
because of the standards for
tolerance.
For another, there is another
problem.
“There is a misconception
about the makeup of (manure)
odors.” Williams said. Often,
ammonia and hydrogen sulfide are
Having some sort of odor
control guidelines could pro
tect farm enterprises that
deal with a major problem
manure—and from possible
odor lawsuits from angry
neighbors, according to Mike
Williams, director of the Ani
mal and Poultry Waste Man
agement Center at North Car
olina State University.
(Turn to Pag* A2l)
NEW YORK
VIRGINIA