MARYLAND - The Maryland Department of Agriculture has announced new emergency regulations enacted in the state to manage food processing residuals (FPRs), or food production byproducts.
The production and processing of food products such as poultry creates FPRs, according to the Department of Agriculture. How poultry FPRs are handled has been an especially contentious topic here on Delmarva, with dissolved air flotation (DAF) tanks being a common form of containment.
The new regulations stem from legislation passed earlier this year in Maryland and requires those handling FPRs to obtain special permits from the state. The new laws were designed to protect air and water quality, according to the Department of Agriculture, and came in response to numerous Maryland residents asking for stronger regulations.
“With the passage of House Bill 991 and Senate Bill 1074, the department has been granted the authority to establish a permit program for FPRs,” said Maryland Agriculture Secretary Kevin Atticks. “The new requirement aims to address citizen complaints while still allowing the land application of this important nutrient source, following Maryland’s nutrient management regulations,”
The Department of Agriculture provides the following for Maryland farmers who use FPRs to know:
-A Food Processing Residuals Utilization Permit is required if you plan to transport, store, or land apply FPRs on Maryland farmland.
-A separate permit is required for each activity (transport, storage or spreading).
-Permit holders are required to post a bond to ensure compliance.
-Applications for transport and storage received by November 15 to be issued by January 1.
-Farmers who have submitted their applications by November 15 may continue to transport or store FPRs until the permit determination has been made
-Applications for land application of FPRs are due to the department by January 15. Permits will be issued by March 1, when land application of nutrient sources resumes.
-All FPRs must be applied to fields following Maryland’s nutrient management regulations. Nutrient management staff will be making site and field inspections to ensure compliance.
Those wishing to request a permit application can contact Dwight Dotterer at the Maryland Department of Agriculture at 410-841-5877. More information on the new regulations can be found here.
