– Rory Lewandowski, OSU Extension Educator, Wayne County
Handling and hauling manure is tied to livestock production. Manure application involves the farmer juggling a number of factors such as weather conditions, soil moisture, soil nutrient level, crop nutrient needs, application method, soil type, and slope to insure that manure is applied correctly and in an environmentally friendly manner. In every situation there may be factors outside of the farmers control and sometimes those factors result in a manure spill. How prepared the farmer is to react to that spill can make the difference between a small accident or a large environmental and/or regulatory incident. Recently I read an article about preparedness for manure spills in a dairy herd.com newsletter that contained information about a manure spill kit. Here is a section of that article:
“Dr. Kris Kohl, agricultural engineer with Iowa State University Extension, suggests farmers assemble the following items into a trailer or pickup-sized spill kit.
* Copy of complete Emergency Response Plan (including site maps of drain tiles, creek, stream and wells along with emergency numbers)
* 25 square hay or straw bales (Use to block a culvert or to build a berm or diversion.)
* 10 T-Posts (Use to support plywood or bale stacks.)
* 14-inch-diameter PVC pipe, four 3-foot sections and two 4-foot sections (Use to cover tile inlets.)
* Several 6-mil plastic sheets, approximately 12-foot by 25-foot (Use with duct tape to cover tile inlets or other sensitive areas.)
* 4 bags of bentonite chips (Use to plug small gaps when creating a berm or diversion.)
* 1 sheet 4-foot by 4-foot plywood (Use to block culverts. Round the plywood on one end to fit the curve of the ditch.)
* Pliers, 1 each of vice grips, fencing pliers, channel lock pliers, standard pliers
* Hammers, one 12-ounce hammer and one 3-pound hammer
* 1 utility knife
* 1 hand saw
* 1 hachet
* 1 post driver
* 1 roll of duct tape
* Bailing wire
* Sand shovels
This manure spill kit should be readily available to use in case of a manure spill. Timing is essential in getting any spill under control and contained. On a slope of less than 2 percent, liquid manure will flow as fast as 5 feet per second.”
Learn more about manure storage, handling and application at the annual Ohio Manure Science Review.