delmarva’s poultry industry and environmental protection bill satterfield executive director...
TRANSCRIPT
Delmarva’s Poultry Industry andEnvironmental Protection
Bill Satterfield
Executive Director
Delmarva Poultry Industry, Inc.
November 1, 2007
It’s Not Necessarily Us!
Total Nutrient Sources
Source: EPA (September 2007)
Delmarva Peninsula
Chesapeake Bay Watershed
Poultry and the Bay
The land area of the Delmarva Peninsula counties with broiler chicken production
accounts for just 7.7% of the total Chesapeake Bay watershed.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau Data
Monitoring Nutrients
“Collectively, the Susquehanna, the Potomac, and the James Rivers
contributed 95% of the annual Nitrogen load and about 87% of the annual
Phosphorus load from the nine major rivers draining to Chesapeake Bay....”
Source: USGS (November 1999)
Monitoring Nutrients
“The Choptank River is the largest river on Maryland’s Eastern Shore, but contributes less than 1 percent of the streamflow, the
total nitrogen load, and the total phosphorus load delivered annually from the nontidal part of the Chesapeake Bay
Basin.”
Source: USGS (November 1999)
Bay Contribution by River
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
Susquehanna Potomac James Rappahannock Appomattox Pamunkey Mattaponi Patuxent Choptank
Flow N P
Source: USGS (November 1999)
Maryland Agriculture
Maryland agriculture accounts for just 5% of the land use in the Chesapeake Bay
watershed and contributes only 7.75% of the total N load
Source: CBF Correspondence (June 2006)
Keep Things In Perspective
Maryland’s Contribution to Total Load Entering Chesapeake Bay in 2004
Source: Maryland Department of Legislative Services (2007)
Pollution Control Summary
Source: EPA-Chesapeake Bay Program (April 2007)
Agricultural Goals – Moving in the right
direction!
Source: EPA-Chesapeake Bay Program (April 2007)
Urban/Suburban Goals – Progress is not being
made!
Source: EPA-Chesapeake Bay Program (April 2007)
The Problem with Population Growth
“The rapid rate of population growth and related residential and commercial
development has made this pollution sector the only one in the Bay watershed to still be growing, and thus ‘progress’ is
negative.”
Source: EPA
Urban/Suburban Goals – Progress is not being
made!
Source: EPA-Chesapeake Bay Program (April 2007)
The Real Problem
“Increasing human populations and the associated land-use changes continue to
be the primary factors causing water quality and habitat degradation in the Bay
and its watershed.”
Source: USGS
Why Depend Upon Agriculture?
“In part because they are so cost-effective, the Bay Jurisdictions are relying on future reductions from agricultural lands for more
than half of the remaining nutrient reductions needed to meet restoration
goals”
EPA-Chesapeake Bay Program (April 2007)
Bay Watershed Population
8.1
9.6
11.712.6
13.514.5
15.015.7
16.6
17.418.7
19.8
0.0
2.0
4.0
6.0
8.0
10.0
12.0
14.0
16.0
18.0
20.0
1950 1960 19701980 1985 1990 19952000 2005 20102020 2030
Human Population in Millions
Source: EPA-Chesapeake Bay Program
Population Trends vs.Poultry on Delmarva
0.0
2.0
4.0
6.0
8.0
10.0
12.0
14.0
16.0
18.0
1950 1960 1970 1980 1985 1990 1995 2000 2005
Hu
ma
n P
op
ula
tio
n in
Ba
y W
ate
rsh
ed
(m
illio
ns)
0.0
100.0
200.0
300.0
400.0
500.0
600.0
700.0
Ch
ick
en
Po
pu
latio
n o
n D
elm
arv
a
(millio
ns)
Human Population Chicken Population on Delmarva
Population Trends vs.Poultry in Maryland
0.0
2.0
4.0
6.0
8.0
10.0
12.0
14.0
16.0
18.0
1950 1960 1970 1980 1985 1990 1995 2000 2005
Hu
ma
n P
op
ula
tio
n in
Ba
y W
ate
rsh
ed
(m
illio
ns)
0.0
100.0
200.0
300.0
400.0
500.0
600.0
700.0
Ch
ick
en
Po
pu
latio
n in
Ma
ryla
nd
(m
illion
s)
Human Population in Bay Watershed Chicken Population on Delmarva Chicken Population in Maryland
Agricultural land contributes 20 to 25% less nitrogen than developed land.
Bob SummersDeputy Secretary, Maryland Department of the Environment
(May 2007)
Agriculture vs. Development
“Among the major land use categories, urban and suburban lands contribute, per acre, the largest amount of nutrients to the
Bay when septic and wastewater treatment plant discharges are factored in.
Runoff from farms is generally declining….”
Source: EPA-Chesapeake Bay Program
Farm Runoff Declining
Bay Journal, January 2007
Eastern Shore Contributions to
Chesapeake Bay N & P
Non-PointN
Point N Non-PointP
Point P
-70%
-60%
-50%
-40%
-30%
-20%
-10%
0%
10%
Percent change since 1985
Source: Bay Journal (January 2007)
Eastern Shore Improving
None of the other watersheds; Susquehanna, Potomac, James, Western
Shore, Rappahannock, York, and Patuxent, had as high a Nitrogen non-point source decline and Phosphorous
non-point source decline as did Delmarva.
Source: Bay Journal (January 2007)
Development Growth
“From 1985 to 2005, EPA estimated loads from developed land sources increased up
to 16% while loads from wastewater disposal and agriculture decreased.”
Source: EPA (September 2007)
Development Growth
“New development is increasing nutrient and sediment loads at rates faster than
restoration efforts are reducing them.”
Source: EPA (September 2007)
Development Growth
“Little progress has been reported in reaching nutrient and sediment load
reduction goals from developed lands.”
Source: EPA (September 2007)
Development Growth
“…impervious surfaces in the Bay watershed grew significantly, by 41%, in
the 1990s.”
Source: EPA (September 2007)
Poultry House Capacity
Delmarva poultry house capacity grew by only 35% in the 1990s and is only slightly
higher now than in 1999.
Source: Delmarva Poultry Industry, Inc.
Sewer Overflow
According to the Maryland Department of the Environment website:
Combined sewer overflow = 166 million gallons Sanitary sewer overflow = 24 million gallons Bypasses = 17 million gallons
During the last 8 months 207 million gallons of wastewater and human waste made its way into Maryland waters!!!!
Restoration Progress
Source: EPA-Chesapeake Bay Program
So, what have we been doing?
Delmarva Poultry Industry Accomplishments
Nutrient Management Plans
Eastern Shore chicken industry has more comprehensive rules than most farmers in the Bay watershed.
Thousands of Pennsylvania and Virginia farms are not required to have nutrient management plans.
Only Eastern Shore counties are 100% compliant
Delmarva Poultry Industry Accomplishments
Improved Feed Conversion
More feed used by the birds and less excreted.
Birds make better use of the feed to produce meat.
What’s Not Added to Chicken Feed...
No hormones are ever added to commercial chicken feed
It has been illegal to feed hormones to chickens since the 1950s!
Delmarva Poultry Industry Accomplishments
Improved Feed Conversion
More feed used by the birds and less excreted.
Birds make better use of the feed to produce meat.
7.6% improvement in feed conversion since 1998.
Delmarva Poultry Industry Accomplishments
Fewer Nutrients Excreted
‘Between 1959 and 2001, 75% reduction in N and P excreted from broiler chickens (grams of nutrients
per kg. of live weight broilers).’
-Dr. R. Angel, University of Maryland (2007)
Delmarva Poultry Industry Accomplishments
Phytase
Allows birds to better use P already present in the diet so less is excreted.
P levels in excreta has been reduced by approximately 30% in recent years.
Research continues on phytase in combination with other products for further reductions.
Delmarva Poultry Industry Accomplishments
Litter Transport
Poultry companies have voluntarily contributed more than $2 million to this effort since 1999.
More than 252,000 tons of Maryland poultry litter have been transported since 2000.
Delaware’s program has moved more than 350,000 tons since 2001.
Poultry Litter in Context
Poultry Litter Analysis
Nitrogen = ~4-5% of the litter
Phosphorus = ~2-3% of the litter
Organic Material in litter can improve nutrient and water-holding capacity of light, sandy soils common on Delmarva.
Delmarva Poultry Industry Accomplishments
Perdue AgriRecycle
Perdue AgriRecycle accepts chicken manure from all companies’ growers without charge.
Much of this manure has been transported out of the local watersheds as a pasteurized organic fertilizer.
Fertilizer has received certification by the National Organic Standards Board.
Delmarva Poultry Industry Accomplishments
Perdue AgriRecycle
Largest litter recycling operation in the world
Since 2003, 195,800 tons of litter removed from Delmarva watersheds
8.1 million lbs. of N4.5 million lbs. of P6.7 million lbs. of K
Delmarva Poultry Industry Accomplishments
Perdue AgriRecycle
44,000 tons of finished product sold in FY 2007
31,000 of these tons sold outside of Chesapeake Bay watershed states
Delmarva Poultry Industry Accomplishments
Alternative Uses of Manure
Coal mine reclamation
Burning to produce energy
Attorney General Gansler
“We have a site. We have a plan.”
Baltimore ExaminerOctober 18, 2007
Delmarva Poultry Industry Accomplishments
Unsuccessful Manure Burning Efforts
Previous attempts have met with defeat:
Allen’s processing plant in Hurlock, Maryland. Allen’s prohibited protein conversion plant at Linkwood, Maryland. Tyson’s effort on the Eastern Shore of Virginia.
Delaware’s ban on large-scale manure burning units.
Delmarva Poultry Industry Accomplishments
Vegetative Environmental Buffers
Voluntary, first of its kind project.
Joint funding by local poultry companies, DPI, USDA/NRCS, and NFWF.
Designed to improve air and water quality, including the reduction of ammonia emissions.
Delmarva Poultry Industry Accomplishments
Cost-Share Programs
Poultry growers have been active users of federal and state cost-share programs for environmental practices.
Industry personnel have worked with funding agencies to design and publicize these programs.
Delmarva Poultry Industry Accomplishments
Energy Efficiency
Proper maintenance and cleaning of equipment helps reduce energy consumption.
Less energy consumption means less pollution.
The poultry industry continues to promote proper equipment management.
Delmarva Poultry Industry Accomplishments
Energy Efficiency
The University of Delaware has undertaken solar power research at an Allen’s Hatchery, Inc. farm.
Growers are switching to lower energy light bulbs.
Houses are constructed or retrofitted with solid sidewalls and that helps reduce propane use.
Delmarva Poultry Industry Accomplishments
Company Assistance to Growers
On-farm environmental audits and technical assistance on environmental stewardship.
Recent collaboration with NRCS to help identify and address environmental weaknesses on farms.
Delmarva Poultry Industry Accomplishments
Research Projects
DPI and local poultry companies spent over $326,000 for research from 1998 to 2000.
In addition, poultry companies have funded their own research projects independent of DPI.
Delmarva Poultry Industry Accomplishments
Research Projects
University of Maryland Eastern Shore (UMES) has initiated a “chicken house of the future” concept.
First full flock on an innovative plastic floor will be placed next year.
Delmarva Poultry Industry Accomplishments
In-House Litter Composting
Recycling and treating used litter through a “biological heating” process.
Re-conditioned litter provides more flexibility on cleanouts and reduces the need for new bedding material.
One area company has already adopted this practice.
Delmarva Poultry Industry Accomplishments
Preservation of Working Farms
Farmland remains thanks to the chicken industry.
The facts show that farmland generates fewer nutrients per acre than developed land.
According to a recent 1,000 Friends of Maryland study, the public is concerned about the rapid loss of farmland.
Delmarva Poultry Industry Accomplishments
Industrial Strength Permits to Operate
Maryland law already requires nutrient management planning and compliance under the Water Quality Improvement Act of 1998.
What benefit is there from a duplicate program?
How can Maryland afford an additional program?
The Under Utilized Oyster
Thrives on algae.
A proven water cleanser.
Summary
Delmarva Peninsula poultry production is a minor contributor to Bay nutrients.
Increase of human population in the Bay watershed and development of farmland are offsetting progress in achievement of goals.
The agricultural community, including the poultry industry, has made significant strides in environmental protection.
Summary
Research into innovative, efficient, and cost-effective practices continues.
The poultry industry has proven and will continue to demonstrate our commitment toward soil and water stewardship.
However, poultry people are concerned that they will be asked to make disproportionate sacrifices to help with water quality improvements.
A Point of Agreement
“Population growth and related sprawl development will have to be much
better controlled…”
Gerald WinegradBay Journal (September 2007)
It’s Not Just Agriculture!
Poultry and agriculture have been very aggressive on environmental issues in recent years.
If others in the 64,000 square mile Chesapeake Bay
watershed had been as proactive on environmental
issue in recent years, things would not remain as
challenging as they are and we would not
need to be here today!
Thank You!
Delmarva Poultry Industry, Inc.16686 County Seat Highway
Georgetown, Delaware 19947
(302) 856-9037
Arsenic
Less used now than in previous years.
A study by the University of Delaware indicates no problems.
Antibiotics
Less used now than in previous years.
Used to keep birds healthy.
Endocrine Disruptors
A recent University of Maryland study shows no connection between litter applied to land and sex changes in fish.