Mortality Management is responsible for presenting information to each county regarding
removal of large populations of dead animals following a disaster. This information
should allow each county to develop a plan for handling such a situation. Additionally,
the Mortality Management section will present recommendations to the counties and state
regarding mortality management following a disaster.
Farm Plan Each producer should have a disaster plan that consists of the following:
- Evacuation route and equipment to move animals
- On site designated land for burial
- Site needs to be adequate size and depth to accommodate population size.
- Site should have accessible in trucks (i.e. culverts over ditch)
- Spray fields can be used, but spraying can't resume until foliage has covered
burial site.
- Determine a contact person to report damages and requests assistance
- County extension, company representative, emergency management coordinator.
County Plan
- Located all premises containing large populations of animals.
- Determine county contact person for administering dead animal emergencies
- County health director
- County extension agent
- Other emergency management person
- Prearrange contract for resources to handle dead animal removal, burial and disposal
- Clean out crews. (People to remove dead animals) Poultry producers hire these people to clean out poultry houses.
Typically have supplies such as bobcats and dump trucks.
- Equipment for handling / hauling dead animals (Examples: Bobcats, Front-end loaders, backhoes, trackhoes, sealable
or leakproof trucks for transporting dead, plastic for lining trucks, latches for sealing trucks or large incinerators
for burning the dead.)
- Make arrangements with other counties for resources and land space
- Priority on how to handle dead
- 1st consider rendering
- 2nd consider burial
- 3rd consider composting
- 4th consider incineration
- Rendering
- Must be done rapidly (24-48 hrs) following disaster. Composting
- Primarily for poultry
- High maintenance
- Possible used for cover until burial arrangement could be made. Incineration
- Worked poorly in the past
- Consider last option due to past track record of improper fuel, costly, create logjam, air quality problem,
inefficient, poorly trained personnel and ash disposal.
- Plan for rapid restoration of power to rendering facilities, feed mills and processing plants.
State Plan
- Designate contact person that counties can request assistance from
- Work out financing so counties can arrange local contracts with understanding of reimbursement.
- Inform governor's office and Agriculture commissioner?s office of SART's activities so during an emergency the press is proper informed with the plan of action.
- Arrange press packet for SART/CART
- Prearrange press release information relating to dead animals and public health.
- Keep access roads clear to rendering plants, feed mills and processing plants
- Real time information on road obstructions/closings.
- May need to lift slaughter plant kill limits during disaster to allow for facility repairs.
- May need to relax regulation during disaster in order to handle problem best under emergency circumstances.
- Consider joint state agreements for disposal of dead. (Indianapolis was discussed as possible disposal site, $2/mile is normal shipping cost.
Updates
Recommendations from the SART Industry Committee
Farm Emergency Plan Recommendations
Each producer should have an emergency plan that consists of the following:
- Evacuation route and equipment to move animals
- Provide health care for the well and injured
- Alternative feed water and power supply to meet needs of animals
- Burial site for emergencies on farm and an off site back up location
- Participation by public health, DWQ, NCDA, CES in site development
- Site needs to be of adequate size and depth to accommodate population size.
- Per regulation, burial should be 3 ft. deep and 300 feet from any public body of water. Further recommendations are being developed.
- All resources needed to bury on that farm listed. Site accessible in trucks
- Spray fields can be used, but land used is not considered as part of the field required size until foliage returns.
- Contact person(s) on farm identified to their farming structure (when applicable), County Animal Response Team (CART) and State Animal Response Team (SART).
- Alternative methods to deliver communication, to report damages, and requests assistance e.g. phone, neighbor, cell phone, computer etc.
Posted Emergency numbers including 911, local emergency management coordinator, and CART County Emergency Plan Recommendations
- Add CART contact person and number to Emergency management directory.
- Involve county and state agencies (agriculture, animals control, animals industry leaders, air and water quality, extension emergency management
and public health, local veterinarians etc.) with stake in animal emergencies in informational meetings and CART development.
- Associate dead animal disposal persons with county debris removal persons.
- Develop County Resource list including prearranged person that can dig holes, transport feed and animals, power and water
as well as handle dead animal removal, burial and disposal e.g. poultry clean out crews hired clean out poultry houses. Typically
hey have supplies such as bobcats and spreader trucks.
- Equipment for handling / hauling dead animals
- (Examples: Bobcats, front-end loaders, backhoes, trackhoes, sealable or leakproof trucks for transporting dead, plastic for lining
trucks, latches for sealing trucks or large incinerators for burning the dead.) Make arrangements with other counties for resources and land space
- Hold information meeting to develop plans with all state>> holders in attendance
- Provide veterinary care for rescued farm animals the well and injured
- Develop and inform all parties of the priorities for handling of dead animals
- 1st rendering
- 2nd burial
- 3rd composting
- 4th incineration
- Rendering must be done rapidly (24-48 hours) following emergency.
- County Land for burying dead animals (Only used during an emergency)
- Participation by public health, DWQ, NCDA, CES in site development
- Often cannot render and should consider such land spaces as landfills, old landfills, transfer stations, debris collection sites, forestry land or military land.
- Site need seasonal high water table at 12 to 15 feet below surface or greater
- Three (3) feet of cover, 6 - 8 feet for burial, three (3) above water table
- Site should have road access.
- County maintained record of land used for emergency burial on farms and in county
- Develop resource list and equipment list to predetermine contractor for county associated with debris removal.
- Composting
- Primarily for poultry
- High maintenance
- Possibly use for cover until burial arrangement could be made.
- Incineration worked poorly in the past.
- Consider last option due to past track record of improper fuel, costliness, creation of logjam, air quality problem,
inefficiency, poorly trained personnel and ash disposal.
- Prearrange press releases and information/education program (Public Information Officer).
- Prioritize restoration of power to rendering facilities, feed mills and processing plants.
- Develop CART /Resource directory and resource contracts prior to emergency.
- Develop informational and educational program with prearranged press releases/public service announcements via the Public Information Officer.
State Plans
- Designate contact person whom counties can request assistance from.
- Work out financing so counties can arrange local contracts with understanding of reimbursements.
- Develop communication plan to inform all state agencies about SART's activities so that during an emergency, the press is properly informed of the plans of action.
- Arrange press packets for SART/CART.
- Prearrange press release information relating to dead animals and public health.
- Keep access roads clear to rendering plants, feed mills and processing plants.
- Real time information on road obstructions/closings.
- May need to lift slaughter plant kill limits during emergency to allow for facility repairs.
- Adjust environmental regulation during emergency in order to avoid public health concerns during emergencies.
- Determine early in the emergency if animal emergency constitutes a public health threat.
- Determine resources available to dead animal disposal early during emergency.
- Develop definite communication plan.
