Composting animal mortality removed from roads: a pilot study of rotary drum and forced aeration compost vessels.

Details

• Creators:
  Donaldson, Bridget M. ; White, James J.
• Corporate Creators:
  Virginia Center for Transportation Innovation and Research
• Corporate Contributors:
  United States. Federal Highway Administration
• Subject/TRT Terms:
  • Deer
  • Road kill
  • Highway maintenance
  • Compost
  • Cost effectiveness
  • Waste disposal
  • Wildlife
• Publication/ Report Number:
  FHWA/VCTIR 13-R8
• Resource Type:
  Tech Report
• Geographical Coverage:
  Virginia
• Corporate Publisher:
  Virginia. Dept. of Transportation
• NTL Classification:
  NTL-HIGHWAY/ROAD TRANSPORTATION-Construction and Maintenance ; NTL-ENERGY AND ENVIRONMENT-ENERGY AND ENVIRONMENT
• Abstract:
  The Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) removes an estimated 55,000 deer carcasses from its roadways ; each year at a cost of more than $4 million per year. Many VDOT maintenance facilities have a need for viable, environmentally ; compliant, and cost-effective carcass management strategies. Disposal challenges include a decreasing availability of ; conventional disposal methods, such as landfills, and a lack of viable burial areas. The purpose of this study was to evaluate two ; in-vessel composting systems to determine the utility of each as a carcass management option for VDOT. The systems were a ; rotary drum system and a forced aeration bin system (forced air system). Pilot projects were conducted to determine the utility of ; each system based on two factors: (1) whether the generated compost met a set of established composting criteria, including ; regulatory standards; and (2) whether the system performed well from an operational standpoint. ; A rotary drum system was installed at a VDOT maintenance facility and monitored for 163 days. The generated ; compost met the established pathogen destruction criteria but was inconsistent with regard to meeting the temperature and ; moisture criteria. The operational performance of the system was also inconsistent. The problems encountered may be ; preventable in future installations, but the system requires further evaluation to determine its utility as a means of animal ; mortality management for VDOT. It is recommended that VDOT install a smaller rotary drum system at a selected maintenance ; facility and evaluate its performance when the lessons learned described in this study are applied. ; A forced air system was installed at another VDOT maintenance facility and monitored for 274 days. The generated ; compost met all established compost criteria (i.e., temperature, compost maturity, and pathogen destruction), and the system ; performed well from an operational standpoint. This system is a useful means of animal mortality management for VDOT. It is ; recommended that VDOT install several additional forced air system units at maintenance areas interested in this method of ; composting. ; When the savings in disposal fees and travel costs from composting mortalities in a compost vessel rather than ; disposing of them at a facility are taken into account, the initial investment in a compost vessel would be offset in less than 5 ; years for maintenance facilities with particularly long drives to a disposal facility (25 to 40 miles). This study will be followed ; by an in-depth study to evaluate the economics and logistics of in-vessel composting to complete the feasibility analysis of this ; method of animal mortality management for VDOT. A composting guidance document will also be prepared to support the ; implementation of animal mortality composting at VDOT maintenance facilities.
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• Format:
  PDF
• Funding:
  101739
• Download URL:
  https://rosap.ntl.bts.gov/view/dot/26079/dot_26079_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 1009.36 KB]
• Collection(s):
  US Transportation Collection
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:ca559b4d77f7b595176cb08fb7dbe8b3ee01ebac69ced3e5aa003f7add1d28f3a7aa6efbb7ef06bb0db36064d801c6131f688931a32208f428d55326fbd80e9b