EU legislation regarding manure management in livestock production farms. Colin H Burton Independant consultant

Transcription

1 EU legislation regarding manure management in livestock production farms Colin H Burton Independant consultant Workshop on best practices in manure management in livestock production farms Hotel Four Seasons, Zagreb, December 2011 CHB 1 The main waste types Farm wastes Manures: solid (FYM), liquid (slurry) Wash waters (dirty water) Silage run off effluent Food wastes Vegetable processing Field waste; factory vegetable trimmings Factory wastes (washing, packaging etc) Meat wastes Abattoir: blood and waste water, paunch contents, solids Factory: cooked meat wastes, mixed meat/vegetable t wastes Other organic wastes Sewage plants: sludges, treated water / storm water Landfill: recovered composted organic material Output from co-digestion AD units CHB 2

2 Risks from the land application of wastes Crops and land use can be divided into categories of vulnerability starting from the highest risk from contamination Reducing ris sk Salad leaf crops (lettuce) Salad root crops (radish) Vegetable leaf crops (cooked) (cabage) Vegetable root crops (cooked) (potatoes) Grain crops (wheat) Crops for feed stock in food industry (oil seed rape) Orchard crops (apples) None food crops (timber) Generally, standards exist for materials classified as wastes that are often linked to licenses allowing spreading. They can specify both application rates and concentration of toxins and certain pathogens. However, livestock and farm wastes are usually exempt. CHB 3 Regulation types Re educing pressure e 1. EU Directives apply to all EU countries (mandatory) using national legislation some neighbouring countries may also choose to follow the same rules 2. National legislation (mandatory) dealing with special local problems with the environment 3. National guidelines not compulsory but if disregarded and incidents occur, this may be used as additional evidence 4. Food quality standards (commercial) rules to satisfy retailers and other purchasers can be more strict than government regulations! 5. Subscription to specific schemes organic, free range etc. Products marketed under such a label legally must observe related rules (trade and description rules) CHB 4

3 Related regulations Water protection legislation Not specifically aimed at agriculture but the presence of pollution in streams from farms can result in prosecution. In the UK, the EA gives guidelines but following them does not exempt farms from legal action in the event of incidents Public health regulations (including nuisance) Tend to be aimed more at specific industries but issues of odour can greatly affect farming. Many abatement orders served on farmers restricting landspreading in response to odour complaints Air quality Regulations limiting smoke and related emissions often aimed at industry but can effect agriculture re dust and burning. Incineration system often specified but emissions not necessarily controlled. CHB 5 National rules (varies between countries) Minimum storage periods capacities upto 12 months required Prohibited periods (esp winter) for land spreading of manures Prohibited weather for land spreading (eg: waterlogged/frozen) Stipulation of manure spreading methods; eg: injection Covering of manure stores (especially for reduction of emissions) Limitations on animal numbers for a given available land area Compulsory manure management plans Manure (nutrient) bookkeeping limited application of N, P etc. So far, such legislation is mostly aimed at an environmental agenda. In some cases, health issues may also be alleviated but in others, implemented techniques may worsen the risks. CHB 6

4 Controls aimed at storage & spreading Location Weather N P Quantities Timing and season CHB 7 Key EU Directives 1. NEC Directive 2001/81/EC 2. The IPPC Directive 96/61/EC 3. The Sewage sludge (in agriculture) Directive 86/278/EEC 4. The Waste Directive 2006/12/EC 5. The Drinking Water Directive 98/83/EC 6. The Bathing Water Directive 76/160/EEC 7. The Urban Wastewater Directive 91/271/EEC 8. The Nitrate Directive 91/676/EEC 9. The Groundwater Directive 80/68/EEC 10. The Water Framework Directive 2000/60/EC 11. Protection of farmed animals Directive 98/58/EC 12. Animal By-Products Regulations 1774/2002 CHB 8

5 Overall impact of current EU legislation Minimum storage periods capacities up to 12 months required Prohibited periods (especially winter) for land spreading of manures Prohibited weather for land spreading (eg: waterlogged/frozen) Stipulation of manure spreading methods; eg: injection Covering of manure stores (especially for reduction of emissions) Limitations on animal numbers for a given available land area Compulsory manure management plans Manure (nutrient) bookkeeping limited application of N, P.. Pathogen load limits CHB 9 EU IPPC Directive Integrated pollution prevention and control Principle of preventing (and/or reducing) emissions to air, water and soil. To achieve a high level of protection for the environment taken as a whole. Principle of BAT (best available technique) as set out in BREF documents for each sector. Pig and poultry BREF out in 2003 : revision due out 2011/2012. For livestock, all existing pig units (over 2000 places) and poultry (over 40,000 places) will need to be licensed by end January IPPC to be incorporated in new IED (Industrial Emissions Directive) from 2017 CHB 10

6 EU IPPC Directive Key environmental impacts of concern Pollution of water (direct and indirect) Pollution of soil (especially N & P re land spreading) Release of ammonia to the air Dust emissions Odours Other emissions (methane, nitrous oxide.. ) Noise BUT without negative impacts on: Energy use Water use CHB 11 Examples of required measures (IPPC) Good housekeeping demonstrated (records) Dietary control to minimize N in manures Water management plan required Specification of systems for roof water Any new storage for manure must be covered Litter must be kept as dry as possible (adequate ventilation stipulated) Minimal dust emissions Restrictions on the times and land condition re application of manures to fields CHB 12

7 EU Animal by-products regulations Animal carcases, parts of animal carcases (including blood) and products of animal origin which are not intended for human consumption; Manure and gut contents; Catering waste containing meat or products of animal origin and which is intended for feeding to livestock, use in a biogas or composting plant Revised 2010 CHB 13 EU Animal by-products regulations Category 1 High-risk material and must be completely destroyed The permitted disposal routes include : incineration normal rendering followed by incineration pressure rendering (133 o C and 3 bar pressure) followed by landfill CHB 14

8 EU Animal by-products regulations Category 2 High-risk material Includes diseased animals animals which die on farm but which do not contain SRM at the point of disposal The disposal routes are as Category 1 plus: pressure rendering to (133 o C and 3 bar pressure) followed by disposal to landfill, or use as a fertiliser or treatment in a biogas or composting plant Category 3 Material which is no longer fit for human consumption but can be used in animal feed CHB 15 EU Animal by-products regulations Impacts on agriculture The treatment of catering waste and other category 3 material in composting plants and biogas plants. The material would need to be reduced to a size of 12mm and treated at 70 o C for at least one hour in a closed vessel on approved premises. The compost or residues could be used as fertiliser on nonpasture land (ie land that is not grazed by animals). Manure management. Manure and digestive tract contents could be used without pretreatment, but other category 2 material could only be used in a composting or biogas plant if it had first been rendered to the pressure cooking standard (133 o C and 3 bar pressure) Feed control (animals) Co-composting and co-digestion schemes Fallen stock disposal CHB 16

9 EU Nitrate Directive (1991) Control of release of N into the environment from Agriculture Target protection of drinking water quality in terms of nitrate contamination (max 50 ppm as N) Identification of high risk areas NVZ (nitrogen vulnerable zones) Limitation of organic manure application in terms of total N in such areas Initial limit 210 kg N per hectare initially falling to 170 kg by 2005 Other related EU Directives Groundwater Directive Urban Wastewater Directive Landfill Directive Generally little direct impact on pathogen issues other than implying more organised manure applications CHB 17 Compost standards Often based on two parts A: definition of an acceptable process (re system and conditions) B: definition of limits of certain components in the final material Example analysis of an acceptable compost based on a proposal from the Compost Association (UK) Salmonella spp Absent in 25 g Faecal coliforms 1000 CFU g-1 Escherichia coli 0157:H7 Absent Cadmium (Cd) 1.5 mg kg-1 Chromium (Cr) 100 mg kg-1 Copper (Cu) 100 mg kg-1 Lead (Pb) 150 mg kg-1 Mercury (Hg) 1 mg kg-1 Nickel (Ni) 50 mg kg-1 Zinc (Zn) 400 mg kg-1 Total glass, metal and plastic 1.5 % of total dry mass CHB 18

10 Issues on regulations Currently vague in terms of pathogens with a few notable exceptions Many inconsistencies rules often based on specific concerns Tendency to play safe and specify very tight regulations Some risks overlooked (eg: still permissible to landspread pauch contents in UK without restriction) Due to the variety of organic wastes and possible applications, variable approach needed (cf: ADAS safe sludge matrix) Important to set clear rules to enable an objective comparison of one option against another Limitations of specifying process rather than quality and use of end product CHB 19 Any questions? CHB 20