Whilst all industries face problems in dealing with environmental concerns, there are a number of specific ones that apply to agriculture and farming.
Manure Handling
Manure is one of those subjects that people tend either to make jokes about or else do have have some basic understanding of why it is used. What often escapes attention is the scale of manure that is used in agriculture and farming, and the real problems that can occur when a spillage or accidental loosening of the hold takes place.
The use of manure is critical to a number of farms and agricultural businesses who use it in high quantities as part of a land management system.
Manual handling can come either as solid, semi solid or in liquid form, each with different types of loaders or gravity flow storage systems that can be used. Any leakage or spillage from any of these can cause serious problems both in the immediate facility and nearby, depending upon where the spillage or leak occurs.
Not only is manure widespread in terms of its use on a farm or agricultural business, but the nature of most farms is that it also gets transported across multiple areas of the farm itself, and also quite often on public highways.
Any spillage or leakage on a public highway can be a major environmental issue and most states will have strict regulations about how manure is to be transported on the public highway and significant penalties if those regulations are not adhered to.
In addition, many states have strict regulations as to how the spillage needs to be isolated and cleaned up, which any farm management operative will need to adhere to.
It may be necessary to notify local authorities as well, both in terms of the fact there is a spillage, the nature of the spillage and how effectively or quickly it can be cleaned up or not.
It may also be necessary to notify local authorities such as local law enforcement officials in case traffic needs to be stopped or diverted through a different route.
As with many potential accidents, the initial incident needs to be managed extremely quickly for a number of reasons, perhaps most important being that if it isn’t, other accidents and injuries can occur as a result of the original incident, often with devastating consequences.
It is not necessary to understand the chemical makeup of manure to realise two things that are of significant importance in terms of environmental protection.
Firstly that if manure is spread on land that is close to any type of water, be it a lake, river, stream, pond or well, then any type of leakage has a much greater risk attached to it simply because of the potential pollution it can have on the water nearby, and subsequent damage to people’s health.
The other thing that it is important to know, is that manure contains a number of nutrients, such as nitrogen and phosphorus, that are good for the soil, and help to feed plants, vegetables, fruits etc.
However there is a similar danger in that if it is used too much or it is too widespread especially on land near to any type of water then it can pollute the water as well leading to additional health problems for people living nearby.
Burning Trash
Many farms and agricultural businesses will need to burn a significant amount of debris and waste products, and this task should be assigned to dedicated people with very specific responsibilities, and who have an understanding of the potential pollution effects.
There are likely to be strict local regulations as to what can and can’t be burnt. Sometimes there will be limits on the days when things can be burnt, or for how long, or what time of the day.
Local authorities often try to manage this type of waste disposal through quite strict and enforceable time spans.
Given that waste disposal can also include a significant amount of toxic material, there should be very specific farm management policies as to the types of material that can be disposed of in this way, and any additional measures that need to be taken to ensure that any pollution is minimised or eradicated altogether.
Hazardous Substances
Farms are likely to contain a number of items such as used oil, oil philtres, antifreeze, paint and solvents, air conditioner refrigerant, fuel, oil and lubricant containers, all of which are likely to need to be disposed of.
Given that these items are a staple part of most farms and businesses, there should be a clear written pathway to making sure that they are disposed of in a safe and effective manner.
The other major item of concern regarding farms and agricultural businesses is the disposal of items such as tires and batteries.
Tires can be particularly dangerous simply because they can collect water if they are left lying around too long, which very quickly in certain parts of the country becomes a breeding ground for mosquitoes and other insects which can cause major problems for people living nearby.
Many local businesses who sell tires and batteries offer some type of recycling scheme, where they will collect said items and dispose of them themselves. There is sometimes a charge for the service but it is normally by far the best way of making sure that these are disposed of in a way that is significantly better than simply burying them on the farm or a local landfill.
