DELAWARE NUTRIENT MANAGEMENT PROGRESS ANNOUNCED

News Date May 02, 2008

       The Delaware Nutrient Management Commission, state agencies, the University of Delaware, Delmarva Poultry companies, and the Natural Resources Conservation Service have announced significant progress made in their cooperative efforts to improve Delaware's water quality and other environmental initiatives. According to Bill Vanderwende, chairman of the Nutrient Management Commission, progress has been made in reductions in phosphorous in poultry litter, nutrient management certification and continuing education, and the overall nutrient mass balance in the State of Delaware. 
       Delaware Agriculture Secretary Michael Scuse spoke about the Delaware way of problem solving and thanked all the partners who have participated in building a successful nutrient management program. Scuse said, "As the Minner administration moves through its final year, I know that I can speak for Governor Minner and say that the accomplishments detailed here today represent some of our finest hours in the pursuit of environmental quality for a more Livable Delaware."
       "The agricultural industry deserves credit for the nutrient load reductions that have been realized from various best management practices," said John A. Hughes, secretary of the Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control. "We're happy to provide funding for the practices implemented by the agricultural community, which, in addition to being extraordinarily successful, are very cost-effective compared to other ways of reducing nutrient loads to our environment."
       In an overview of the 2007 Nutrient Management Annual Report, Bill Rohrer, program administrator, outlined the strategic elements needed to implement the Nutrient Management Law, including comprehensive education of nutrient handlers by certification, public and private nutrient consultants to assist in nutrient management plan development, alternative use projects for surplus poultry litter and compliance assistance. Among the 2007 Program accomplishments Rohrer noted are the following:
       * 92,157 tons of excess poultry litter was relocated to alternative use projects; 
       * 355,984 acres of nutrient applied farmland was managed under a current nutrient management plan with assistance from the program; 
       * Allen's, Mountaire, and Perdue poultry companies provided compliance assistance to contracted growers by funding, environmental assessments, alternatives for poultry litter and more;
       * The program resolved forty four nutrient management compliance complaints with only one resulting in an enforcement and penalty action;
       * Twelve farms managed under an EPA CAFO permit administered by the Nutrient Management Program; 
       Presentations and other nutrient management information can be found under Hot Topics on the DDA website: http://www.dda.delaware.gov. (Contact: Anne Fitzgerald, 302/698-4520)