Dairy Nutrient Plans Protect Washington Waterways.News Editors LYNNWOOD, Wash.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--June 28, 2001 Washington dairies are making good progress in their efforts to better control and manage dairy wastes. "We are seeing an improvement in the way dairy waste is handled in Washington," said Dairy Program Coordinator Phil KauzLoric of the state Department of Ecology ecology, study of the relationships of organisms to their physical environment and to one another. The study of an individual organism or a single species is termed autecology; the study of groups of organisms is called synecology. (DOE). "Dairies are contributing to cleaner surface and ground water by making waste management improvements." According to according to prep. 1. As stated or indicated by; on the authority of: according to historians. 2. In keeping with: according to instructions. 3. DOE, there are half as many dairies in Washington than there were 10 years ago. The number of milking cows has remained relatively constant, however. While the vast majority of cow manure manure, term used in the United States to refer to excreta of animals, with or without added bedding; also called barnyard manure. In other countries the term often refers to any material used to fertilize the soil. is utilized as natural fertilizer fertilizer, organic or inorganic material containing one or more of the nutrients—mainly nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium, and other essential elements required for plant growth. on croplands, poor weather, mechanical mishaps and -- occasionally -- poor management has sometimes lead to discharges into the state's surface waters. To monitor the environmental impact, DOE inspected every dairy farm in Washington between October 1998 and June 2000. DOE's inspections found that 75 percent of Washington's dairies were complying with existing waste management laws at the time of inspection. Of the remaining farms, 21 percent received warnings to implement improvements that avoid potential or actual waste management problems, and four percent received fines. The Dairy Nutrient Management As defined by the United States Environmental Protection Agency[1], nutrient management is managing the amount, form, placement, and timing of application of nutrients (whether as animal waste, commercial fertilizer, or other form of nutrients) to plants. Act of 1998 mandates that all Washington dairies have a dairy waste management plan approved by their local conservation district by July 1, 2002. In 1999, the Act was amended a·mend v. a·mend·ed, a·mend·ing, a·mends v.tr. 1. To change for the better; improve: amended the earlier proposal so as to make it more comprehensive. 2. to create a Dairy Nutrient Management Task Force to monitor waste management plan implementation across Washington. Dairy farms failing to implement approved plans by Dec. 31, 2003, will be subject to a $100-per-month fine. "We are very pleased with the way the dairy industry has responded to their new requirements under the Dairy Nutrient Management Act," said KauzLoric. "The dairy farmers Dairy Farmers is one of Australia's largest and oldest dairy manufacturers, established in 1900, supplying products to local and international markets such as eastern Europe, the Middle East and Asia. have been very cooperative in working to get plans approved and implemented." To recognize dairies that have not only complied with the Dairy Nutrient Management Act but have made "above and beyond" efforts to protect and enhance the environment, DOE created the "Contribution to Clean Water" award. Ten Washington dairies were honored with the second set of awards in November 2000. |
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