Manure

The Maryland Animal Waste Assessment and Strategy Plan was created to guide future Animal Waste Technology Fund (AWTF) awards administered by the Maryland Department of Agriculture (MDA). The stated goal of the AWTF is “to encourage the development and implementation of economically feasible technologies that help protect public health and the environment by reducing the amount of nutrients from animal waste to enable farmers to meet nutrient management requirements and provide alternative animal waste management strategies to farmers.” This Assessment and Strategy Plan researched and evaluated animal waste and nutrients in animal waste generated in Maryland (by county). The feasibility of animal waste technologies used in Maryland were evaluated, including anaerobic digestion, gasification, pyrolysis, composting, and manure injection. Policy implications, greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, and economic analyses were documented for animal waste technologies. Interviews, surveys, and focus groups were conducted to gauge understanding and acceptance of the technologies, expected future changes in manure management, and the effect of waste management technologies on surrounding communities through an environmental justice perspective. 

When disposed of improperly, pet waste can be a source of water pollution because it contains diseases and bacteria. When precipitation falls on pet waste, bacteria and diseases are picked up and carried to local waterways and eventually the Chesapeake Bay. The pollution caused by unscooped pet waste affects both wildlife and humans – diseases associated with pet waste can cause illness and even death in people with weakened immune systems.