The Ohio House and Senate are expected to vote this week on legislation intended to reduce toxic algae blooms in Lake Erie by reducing farm runoff, says the Associated Press. “The plan includes banning farmers from spreading livestock manure on frozen and rain-soaked fields or when heavy rain is in the immediate forecast,” says the AP. “The question being debated is whether farmers should be punished for violating the ban.” The Senate’s version includes fines for repeated violations. The House would allow farmers to avoid penalties if they ask soil or water officials for help in developing a plan to handle manure. Agricultural runoff is a large, but not the only, factor in the algae blooms.
At a field hearing, an Ohio farmer said he applied manure to his fields every day, despite rules against spreading manure on frozen ground, said DTN in a story on state regulation of manure. Ohio regulators say they rely on citizen complaints about the mishandling of animal waste. The state requires large feedlots to get a permit, but does not track how much manure is produced or where it goes, one state official told DTN. The news organization says many states take a similar approach — they have restrictions on when manure can be applied and require large operations to write nutrient-management plans.
In Maryland, AgEnergyUSA and poultry producer Perdue proposed a $200-million plant on the Eastern Shore to convert poultry manure into energy, says the Baltimore Sun. The plant would be a way to avoid nutrient runoff into the Chesapeake Bay. AgEnergyUSA envisions an aerobic digestion plant near Salisbury that would handle up to 200,000 tons of manure annually, says the Sun.