Animal carcasses, which require disposal, fall into one of
the following two categories: Catastrophic and Routine.
1.
Disposal of Animal Carcasses from
Catastrophic Events
A.
Notification Required
In the event of a catastrophic occurrence requiring carcass
disposal, the owner must notify the Department.
B.
Final Authority for Catastrophic
Disposal Plan
In all catastrophic carcass disposal cases, the authorization
to implement the carcass disposal plan shall rest with the Commissioner.
C.
Procedure
Upon notification of a catastrophe, the Commissioner may take
the following steps:
(1). Visit the
site and determine whether or not there is a need for carcass
disposal;
(2). Authorize the
implementation of the carcass disposal plan for the farm or other regulated
facility;
(3). Develop the disposal
plan if no approved plan exists or if the previously approved plan cannot be
implemented, or an alternate approach is more appropriate;
(4). Keep a record on file of the disposal
plan used and any authorized amendments;
(5). Ensure compliance with the carcass
disposal plan or authorized procedure; and
(6). Undertake any other steps necessary to
ensure proper disposal of the carcasses occurs.
D.
Acceptable Methods for Catastrophic
Animal Carcass Disposal
The owner shall, with the Commissioner's prior approval, use
one of the following methods of disposal:
(1). Rendering facilities;
(2). Burial;
(3). Incineration;
(4). Composting;
(5). In-house Composting;
(6). Landfilling (Transport to an approved
landfill);
(7). Alkaline
hydrolysis; or
(8). Other methods
approved by the Commissioner
E.
Methods for Disposal of Carcasses
Suspected to Contain TSEs.
Disposal of carcasses suspected to contain TSEs will be
determined on a case by case basis by the Commissioner. Methods known to
destroy TSEs include alkaline hydrolysis and high temperature (greater than
1650°(C) incineration. Other methods may be approved by the Commissioner
based on evidence of effectiveness (NOTE: Other technologies that have promise
are thermal hydrolysis, novel pyrolysis (ETL Energy Beam) and plasma arc
technology).
F.
Catastrophic Disposal of Small Flocks of Poultry
As an alternative to the procedures in these rules, disposal
of a small flock of poultry (fewer than 500 birds) may be done by following the
procedures outlined in the University of Maine publication: "Safe Disposal of
Backyard Poultry Mortalities" 2006. The responsible party having a flock
suspected to have a highly contagious disease such as HP Avian Influenza shall
report the disposal to the Commissioner.
G.
Site Evaluation for Catastrophic
Carcass Disposal - All methods of disposal require a site evaluation
(setbacks, availability of power, access, etc.). Some methods also require
soils evaluation.
(1). Disposal Methods
Requiring Soil Evaluation - Methods in which contact between
carcasses and associated materials with the soil will require a soil
evaluation. These methods include, but are not limited to, composting,
incineration using a trench type air curtain burner, and burial.
(2). Soil Evaluation. Sites where a soil
evaluation is required must be evaluated by an NRCS employee, a State of Maine
Certified Soil Scientist, or other qualified professional in accordance with
this and other appropriate sections of this rule.
(3). Disposal Methods not Requiring Soil
Evaluation - Plans for disposal methods not requiring soil evaluation shall be
developed by qualified individuals with training and/or experience in the
particular disposal methods. These methods include, but are not limited to,
in-house composting, anaerobic digestion, alkaline hydrolysis, incineration
using standard incinerators, acid fermentation, and other methods that are
completely enclosed so that there is no contact with the soil or
water.
(4). Requirements for Plans
for Other Methods Shall be Determined on a Case by Case Basis by the
Commissioner.
H.
Records of Catastrophic Carcass Disposal Operation
(1). Records Required
The responsible party shall be responsible for maintaining a
record of all catastrophic carcass disposal operations. Copies of catastrophic
carcass disposal records kept by responsible parties must be provided to the
Department.
(2). Minimum
Content of Records Required At a minimum, catastrophic carcass disposal records
shall include the following information:
(a).
Name of party responsible for the carcasses;
(b). Location (shown on a topographic map,
aerial photo or Maine Atlas) of the property where the activity
occurred;
(c). Disposal site
location (shown on a map or aerial photo of the property). This shall include
the GPS coordinates of the disposal site;
(d) Type of animal carcass or animal product
disposed of;
(e). Quantity of each
animal, product or other material disposed of;
(f). Method of carcass disposal;
and
(g). Cause of
mortality.
(3). Length
of Time Records of Catastrophic Carcass Disposal Must be Maintained:
(a). Burial - A Record of a burial site shall
be maintained by the farm or regulated facility for at least 10
years.
(b). Other Land-Based
Methods of Disposal - Records of other land-based disposal of carcasses such as
composting and air curtain incineration shall be maintained by the farm or
regulated facility for a minimum of 3 years.
(c). Non-land Based Disposal Technologies -
Records of non land-based disposal of carcasses such as anaerobic digestion or
alkaline hydrolysis shall be maintained by the farm or regulated facility for a
minimum of 1 year after the resulting product has been disposed of.
(4). For Carcass Disposal by
Burial, Composting, or Incineration Using a Trench Air Curtain Burner, the
Following Site-Specific Data, Shall be Included:
(a). Soils information, if
required;
(b). Engineering
techniques employed, if any;
(c).
Scaled or dimensioned site plan showing property lines, buildings, slopes,
north arrow, waterbodies, disposal plan details and construction details
(including carcass thickness for burial) and any other information which is
pertinent to the project;
(d).
Profile or cross section of the disposal site (burial only);
(e). Erosion control measures;
(f). Date catastrophic event
occurred;
(g). Inspection and
maintenance schedule and records for the site; and
(h). Person or organization responsible for
preparing the plan.
I.
Carcass/Debris Separation
Required
As much as is reasonably possible, carcasses shall be
separated from inorganic debris such as metal or roofing. If reasonable
separation is not possible, disposal shall be determined on a case by case
basis by the Commissioner in consultation with the Maine Department of
Environmental Protection.
J.
Storage of Carcasses from
Catastrophic Events
Carcasses may be stored only long enough to arrange proper
disposal. If ambient air temperatures are above freezing and storage must be
for more than 24 hours the responsible party shall seek guidance from the
Commissioner on issues such as leachate and vector control. Vector control
measures must be put in place to prevent access by vectors to the
carcasses.
2.
Routine Disposal of Animal Carcasses
A.
Applicability - This section
applies to both farm and non-farm domestic animal carcass disposal.
B.
Routine Disposal - Disposal
shall be considered routine when it is a result of normal mortality.
C.
Disposal Methods - Acceptable
disposal methods for carcasses resulting from normal mortality when carried out
according to provisions of this rule are:
(1). Rendering or processing
facilities;
(2). Burial;
(3). Incineration;
(4). Gasification/pyrolysis;
(5). Composting;
(6). Anaerobic digestion;
(7). Thermal hydrolysis; or
(8). Other methods approved by the
Commissioner.
D.
Daily Disposal for Poultry
Carcasses resulting from normal mortality of a commercial
poultry operation shall be disposed of on a daily basis or placed in a secure
container that will prevent leakage or access by insects, rodents, birds and
other animals until properly disposed.
E.
Site Evaluation and Plan Development
for Routine Disposal(1). Disposal
Methods Requiring Soil Evaluation (Burial, Composting, Open Incineration or Air
Curtain Burners) - An NRCS or State of Maine Certified Soil Scientist or other
qualified professional shall evaluate soil suitability in accordance with
applicable sections of this rule. Plans shall be developed by an NRCS or State
of Maine Certified Soil Scientist, a registered professional engineer, a
certified geologist, a qualified Soil and Water Conservation District employee
or other qualified individual, in accordance with these rules.
(2). Disposal Methods not Requiring Soil
Evaluation (Rendering, In-vessel Incineration, Alkaline Hydrolysis, Anaerobic
Digestion, Pyrolysis) - Disposal methods not requiring soil evaluation shall be
developed by qualified individuals with training and/or experience in the
particular disposal methods.
(3).
Small Volumes - Burial or composting of less than 500 lbs. of animal carcasses
or offal per year, or one large or two medium size animals per year, are exempt
from the requirements of Section 7.2.E(1) and shall be done in accordance with
Section 8.2.
3.
Disposal of Carcasses of Animals
Exhibiting Signs of Neurological Diseases
A. Animals that die or are euthanized as a
result of a suspected neurological disease such as rabies or Transmissable
Spongiform Encephalopathy (TSE) shall be reported to the state veterinarian
prior to disposal.
B. The carcasses
of animals suspected to have had a neurological disease shall be tested for the
presence of TSEs at the owner's expense. Results of such test shall be provided
to the state veterinarian as soon as the results are known.
C. The state veterinarian shall prescribe the
appropriate storage and disposal requirements for animals displaying signs of a
neurological disease on a case by case basis.
