Sacramento, Calif., (July 10, 2017) – Due to the excessive heat the Valley has experienced in recent weeks, the dairy industry has been hit with high mortality rates. This has led to a slow-down in Baker Commodities’ mortality pick ups.
As a result of this crisis, producers are going to be allowed to compost mortalities for temporary storage on the dairy or, if willing to meet some extensive conditions, permanently bury the composed material on the dairy.
This option is available because of an existing RB-5 waiver for addressing burial of mortalities in emergency landfills during an animal health emergency. Among the conditions of the waiver is that RB-5 must receive a request from CDFA detailing the need for on-site disposal, a request which is being generated now.
In addition, either the state or the affected counties must declare an emergency. Tulare, Kings, Madera and Kern counties have, or are in the process of, creating emergency declarations and the other major dairy counties are being contacted to follow suit.
CDQAP is generating specific guidance for producers describing how they can implement this option and what their responsibilities are if they do. It appears that producers will have two options:
- Producers can temporarily store mortalities on their farm in composting piles for later transport to permitted landfills.
- Producers can permanently inter mortalities on farm in an emergency landfill, a process which requires substantial follow-up and paperwork.
Click here to review the CDQAP Emergency Mortality Disposal Advisory.
