Air Emissions from Animal Feeding Operations Current Knowledge, Future Needs (2003) / Chapter Skim
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7. Improving Knowledge and Practices
7. Improving Knowledge and Practices
Pages 152-168
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From page 152... ...
air emissions indicates a desire by EPA to limit those emissions or by USDA to quantify and evaluate reductions of emissions for specific air pollution abatement strategies or management practices. Air pollution regulations have generally been based on emission inventories (estimated total annual emissions from various sources)
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From page 153... ...
, the research recommended to improve emission estimates allows for an emissions factor approach. This section of the report outlines short- and long-term research programs to achieve not only reductions in atmospheric emissions of the substances of concern but also of all losses from AFOs.
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From page 154... ...
FINDING 13. Setting priorities for both short- and long-term research on estimating air emission rates, concentrations, and dispersion requires weighing the potential severity of adverse impacts, the extent of current scientific knowledge about them, the potential for advancing scientific knowledge, and the potential for developing successful mitigation and control strategies.
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From page 155... ...
Permitting, dispersion modeling, source sampling of emission points, and ambient concentration measurements near the source are used as a basis for establishing the emission rate limits in permits. The current EPA goal is to set emission rate limits at amounts that will not exceed National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS)
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From page 156... ...
However, concentration measurements associated with sources with highly variable emission rates are a bigger problem. Ambient concentrations measured close to the source are affected by wind speed, direction, and atmospheric stability to vertical mixing.
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From page 157... ...
. AFO air emission rates should be estimated using appropriate protocols for concentration measurements along with airflow rates in the case of barns or vertical turbulent diffusion characteristics in the case .
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From page 158... ...
Appropriate dispersion modeling procedures are needed for estimating downwind concentrations given accurate emission rates. If all AFOs are required to meet NAAQS and the only method for estimating downwind emission concentrations prior to construction is dispersion modeling, accurate estimates of downwind concentrations will be necessary.
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From page 159... ...
EPA and USDA should standardize procedures for estimating accurate emission inventories (annual emissions) from AFOs and multiform animal production systems.
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From page 160... ...
Mathematical models and software applications should be developed to estimate the contribution of individual AFOs to total emissions from multiform animal production systems. The supporting research necessary to develop these models is described in Need 3 above.
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From page 161... ...
Control strategies aimed at decreasing unaccounted-for nitrogen from total animal production systems can be designed and implemented now. These strategies can include both performance standards based on individual farm calculations of nitrogen balance and technology standards to decrease total system nitrogen balance by quantifiable amounts.
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From page 162... ...
If animals use nutrients that they consume more | Inputs 1/ ~ Maximize Utilization Of Resources And Waste Products , ~ Losses > FIGURE 7-1 Animal feeding operations system (animals plus associated cropland)
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From page 163... ...
To increase the potential of this type of management to decrease emissions in general, and air emissions specifically, the committee recommends the following: . Establish a coordinated research program based on the best available science and up-to-date estimates of animal nutrient requirements to determine how to optimize animal feeding so as to minimize waste.
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From page 164... ...
(2002) , in an assessment for the State of North Carolina, recommended that swine waste be used to produce energy in the form of methane, biogas, diesel fuel, or electricity for direct on-farm purposes; synthetic growth media for high-value ornamental plants, or soil amendments for residential or commercial landscaping purposes; nitrogen- and phosphorus-rich fertilizer materials for direct application to crops such as corn, cotton, sweet potatoes, and so forth, or for fast-growing pine and/or hardwood plantations; feed materials and nutritional supplements to enhance feed conversion efficiency in fish, poultry, and livestock production (when recycled as animal feed, the potential spread of animal diseases must be considered)
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From page 165... ...
These strategies can include both performance standards based on individual farm calculations of nitrogen balance and technology standards to decrease total system nitrogen balance by quantifiable amounts. Standard measurement protocols should be developed and used for quantifying the effects of alternative manure management practices and treatment technologies in decreasing emissions.
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From page 166... ...
A significant commitment of resources should be made to provide detailed scientific information on the contribution of AFO emissions to health and environmental effects (recommendation from Finding 1~. · Research on how to integrate regulatory and management programs to decrease air emissions with other environmental (e.g., water quality)
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From page 167... ...
The overall research program should include research to optimize inputs to AFOs, optimize recycling of materials within AFOs, and significantly decrease releases to the environment (recommendation from Finding 11~. In addition to process-level research on how to decrease emissions of deleterious material from AFOs, the committee also proposes a long-term educational program for protein producers and consumers.
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From page 168... ...
The critical short-term research needs include concentration measurements, dispersion modeling (local and air shed) , odor measurement and characterization, and abatement and/or management strategies.
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