Making Manure More Emlronmentally-Friendly PHILADELPHIA In keeping with the increas ing overall awareness of environmental issues, dairy, hog, and poultry farmers across the country face growing governmental regulation and public demand to manage a huge quantity of animal manure in an environmentally friendly manner. Using animal manure as a fertilizer is problematic because the large amount of soluble phosphorus in manure is prone to runoff losses in waterways, con tributing to water-quality problems in many streams, rivers, and estuaries. Scientists at the University of Pennsylvania’s School of Veterinary Medicine have found an eco nomical and effective way to stabilize manure phos phorus by lowering its solubility using fly ash the fine, often airborne particles derived from the burn ing of coal. When fly ash materials were mixed with dairy, hog, or broiler manures, water-soluble phos phorus decreased by up to 80 percent. Another ad ditive, alum (aluminum sulfate), also reduced water-soluble phosphorus dramatically. Fly ash materials are easily obtainable at mini- HIE 160 Short Rd., Myerstown, PA 17067 717-933-1015 CONTACT US FOR ALL YOUR DESIGN AND BUILDING NEEDS All Livestock Confinement Operations Complete Dairy Facilities • Free Stall Buildings • Tie Stall Barns • Heifer Barns • Dry Cow Barns • Calf Barns • Parlor/Holding Special Needs- Facilities Steer, Poultry, Hog Facilities Post Frame Structures Commercial Projects CONTACT MARVIN DUECK AT PH: 717-933-1015 FAX: 717-933-1594 CELL: 717-629-8167 Dairy projects are our specialty. We take pride in being a hands on company. All work is performed by our own crews, with special care to individual’s needs. Fly Ash, Alum Shown To Stabilize Phosphorus mum cost from coal-combustion power plants. The results of the 2001-2002 study, which was funded by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Chesa peake Bay Program, appeared in the July-August issue of the Journal of Environmental Quality by the American Society of Agronomy, Crop Science Society of America, and Soil Science Society of America. (Turn to Page 13) “LET DUECK DO IT” lON