16Africa

August 2013Exit strategies

Embracing waste and environmental managementPieter van der Merwe, Rock Environmental Consulting

The various challenges that South Africa is facing in protecting its environment against adverse impacts are present in all industry sectors, including agriculture. Environmental legislation has however earned a reputation among broiler and egg production farmers as a complicating factor for business.

In poultry production, waste management is perhaps the most challenging factor to consider

in the framework of the applicable e n v i r o n m e n t a l legislation. In practice it also remains difficult to gain updated knowledge of the various legal requirements in this regard, and one must be mindful of the fact that the legislative landscape for environmental management or protection will differ in the various states in Africa.

Pieter van der Merwe

August 2013Exit strategies

17Africa

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ffairsEven if the poultry industry is not subject to

environmental legislation in a particular country, the reduction and management of environmental impact must be applied as a basic principle of environmental care and responsibility. This can be achieved by the compilation of at least an environmental management plan.

Prior to mid 2008, South African poultry farmers had to adhere to mainly two sets of legislation, namely the National Environmental Management Act of 1998, (NEMA, which was an addition to the Environmental Conservation Act of 1989) and the National Water Act of 1998. However, to deal more carefully and strictly with pollution or environmental impact issues in South Africa, the government created a new set of environmental legislation, namely the National Environmental Management Waste Act (Act 59 of 2008), referred to as NEMWA.

The poultry industry in general demonstrates a positive attitude towards compliance to environmental legislation and requirements. However, a busy farmer is focussed on production, disease control and logistics at his enterprise. He often does not focus on the issues related to environmental legislation and compliance.

Whether the farmer starts a new poultry farm for egg or broiler production or extends his current operation, an application for authorisation will be required, depending on the scale. The application should be aligned with the National Environmental Management Act or NEMA (Act 107 of 1998).

This legislation is very clear in stating that when the farmer intends to construct facilities for the concentration of more than 1 000 heads of

poultry per facility in an urban area (excluding chicks younger than 20 days), the farmer has to apply for authorisation in terms of NEMA. If the intention is to house more than 5 000 heads of poultry per facility, situated outside an urban area, (excluding chicks younger than 20 days), the same application for authorisation is needed. The application for authorisation will be in the form of a basic environmental impact assessment (EIA), compiled by an adequately qualified environmental assessment practitioner (EAP).

When analysing the day to day activities on poultry farms, it is a logical conclusion that the waste or manure generation and handling are the impact generation factors. These are crucial, together with odours, which are indirectly also related to the manner in which waste product is handled or managed on the farm.

Focussing on waste handling, storage or the treatment thereof, the poultry farmer has to calculate the volumes of manure that will be generated by the chickens.

Government Notice Number 718 of 3 July 2009 provides the list of waste management activities that have, or are likely to have, a detrimental effect on the environment. These are listed under either Category A, which represents the non-hazardous waste, or under Category B, which represents the hazardous waste.

Animal manure received special attention in the act, whereby it is covered under Category A, Listed Activity 17, where it refers to the storage, treatment or processing of animal manure at a facility with a capacity to process in excess of one ton per day.

To deal more carefully and strictly with pollution or environmental impact issues in South Africa, the

government created a new set of environmental

legislation, namely the National Environmental

Management Waste Act.

Even if the poultry industry is not subject to environmental

legislation in a particular country, the reduction and management of

environmental impact must be applied as a basic

principle of environmental care and responsibility.

August 2013Exit strategies

19Africa

Env

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ffairsIt is interesting that the handling or disposal of

poultry mortalities is not specifically referred to in NEMWA. This may create uncertainties, not only among the farmers, but possibly also among the government officials involved in processing and approving waste applications.

The issue of handling and disposal of chicken mortalities on the farm can be guided by the text of Listed Activity Category A (15) of NEMWA, which refers to “(15) The disposal of a general waste to land covering an area of more than 50m2 but less than 200m2 and with a total capacity not exceeding 25 000 tons”.

Poultry mortalities are regarded as general waste. The disposal method as a routine practice or during catastrophic events can either be through burial, composting, incineration, removal of the carcasses from the farm to a rendering facility or through emerging methods such as lactic acid or yeast fermentation. NEMWA fortunately guides us towards only three scenarios, namely:

• The size of the disposal area (conventionally the burial site) on the farm, with a threshold between 50m2 and 200m2 along with the capacity of 25 000 tons. Within this limit a basic environmental assessment is required. A disposal area (conventionally the burial site) for mortalities in excess of 200m2 would require a full EIA. In the event of a catastrophic mortality occurrence, one supposes that a number of these disposal sites, well separated, can be established. In such an instance there will obviously be no time for a full EIA to be conducted.

• If incineration is intended in a new facility, a full EIA process is required.

• The so-called emerging methods is seen as treatment of general waste, which will require a basic environmental assessment, but only if the facility for the treatment has the capacity to process in excess of 10 tons of general waste per day.

The EAP conducting an application for authorisation in terms of NEMA or a waste license application in terms of NEMWA will have to address all the environmental concerns.

The choice of the disposal site on a farm is of utmost importance. The level of the ground water table along with surface and subsurface drainage characteristics are important factors. The burial of

carcasses following a catastrophic disease event is the norm, a matter to be supervised by a veterinary practice. However, if the environmental authority refuses or rejects the burial of carcasses, it must be accompanied by firm scientific reasons that must be communicated with the veterinarian and the farmer with the provision of an alternative method of disposal.

The correct handling or management of chicken faeces on the farm is obviously crucial. In general the recommended practice in this regard is to make the waste (faeces) available to entities in the fertilising or composting business, or the cattle feed production business. Excessive odours causing a nuisances to adjacent landowners are often due to substandard waste management practices.

Finally, the listed activities under NEMWA are currently under review. The precise nature of the changes and the consequences thereof are eagerly awaited by the industry. Similar to previous legislative changes, only time and farming circumstances will show whether changes will be functional and an improvement on the current regulations.

The ultimate goal of environmental legislation, including waste legislation, remains the protection of the environment, which is to be embraced by the industry. Hopefully the changes will facilitate this goal.

This article was kindly sponsored by:Rock Environmental Consulting (Pty) LtdTel: 012 997 4747 / 082 412 7571 E-mail: rockec@lantic.netwww.rockeco.co.za Africa

Registration Holder: Ashkan Consulting (Pty) LtdReg. No.: 2006/020486/07 Unit 11 Kyalami Village Business Park, 57 Forssman CloseKyalami, 1684. Tel: 011 466-8764 www.ashkan.co.zaDistributed and Marketed by: Bayer (Pty) Ltd, Animal Health DivisionReg. No.: 1968/011192/0727 Wrench Road, Isando, 1601Tel: 011 921-5736 www.bayeranimalhealth.co.za™ is the trademark of Bayer AG, Germany

Reg. No. V 23081 (Act 36/1947)

Reg. No. V 23082 (Act 36/1947)

To provide a good start for chicks and poults as well as enhance growth potential. It may also be used in times of stress, diet change and disease challenges to assist recovery and support the immune system.

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Poultry Tonic with Nucleotides

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Designed for rehydration and as a survival and early production supplement when

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Boosted Performance in Transit

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Reg. No. V 23083 (Act 36/1947)

Aqua-Blok

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Setting the FOUNDATION for future health & production.Setting the FOUNDATION for future health & production.

7466_RVW_Aviboost_poultry Focus_245x170.indd 1 2012/11/13 3:03 PM

The ultimate goal of environmental legislation,

including waste legislation, remains the protection of

the environment.