The Egg Industry Center (EIC) reminds egg farmers of the ammonia emission estimation tools for pullet and laying hen facilities as the deadline to submit emissions reports nears on January 22.
The CERCLA (Comprehensive Emergency Response Compensation and Liability Act) reporting requirement stems from the U.S. Court of Appeals’ dismissal of the 2008 ammonia and hydrogen sulfide emission reporting exemption. Originally the exemption, granted by the EPA, excluded farms that house and raise animals from reporting ammonia and hydrogen sulfide released into the air as manure breaks down. In 2015, environmental groups petitioned the U.S. Court of Appeals, and in 2017, the court abandoned the original exemptions. Therefore, the reporting of ammonia and hydrogen sulfide emissions became required and the government and industry have been working on reporting guidance and clarifications ever since.
The EIC emission estimation tools, and any subsequent updates, reside on the center’s website, housed in the EIC Research Library under Environment. However, during this crucial time, links to the tools can be found on the top right on the center's homepage.
The tools include:
Layer Emissions Tool estimates the ammonia emissions based on housing type, inventory and manure storage system. (NOTE: Cage-free floor system barns with no manure removal system should use the high-rise housing style to calculate the emissions.)
Pullet Emissions Tool - Frequent Manure Removal estimates the ammonia emissions based on pullet age, daily manure removal from the house and weekly manure removal from the farm.
Pullet Emissions Tool - Long-term Manure Storage estimates the ammonia emissions based on pullet age, regular manure removal from the house and either no on-site manure storage or long-term on-site manure storage.
In addition to these helpful tools, the U.S. Poultry & Egg Association has developed a tutorial video to assist poultry farmers with the process of actually submitting the necessary reports.
