Alternatives to Rendering for Meat Processors [DRAFT]

Guide to composting rules in Iowa

For an overview of the subject, please refer to the summary document, Alternatives to Rendering for Meat Processors.

Rules for composting facilities
Special rules for on-farm composting of dead animals
Commercial composting facilities in Iowa
For additional information

Meat processors in Iowa can create their own composting facility, or can use the services of a commercial composting operation.

Rules for composting facilities

New rules for composting facilities went into effect in Iowa in July, 1999. Most generators of meat processing wastes will be subject to the rules. (Farmers composting animals that were generated on the farm are exempt under certain conditions, as described below).

If you are going to operate your own composting facility in Iowa, you will need a permit. Permit requirements are spelled out in detail in Section 105 of the Iowa Administrative Code (Chapter 567). Although the paperwork may seem formidable at first glance, the major concerns that the rules are meant to address are straightforward enough. Some of the issues include:

Will runoff from the site contaminate groundwater or surface water?
Will the site generate unacceptable odors?
Will the site be a breeding ground for insect or rodent pests?
Will composting be carried out sufficiently to guarantee that the material will be acceptable for land application (or other applications)?
Will composted material be removed from the site within a reasonable time?

The detail that you will be called upon to submit is presumably intended to assure regulators that you are prepared to deal adequately with these and other matters that may arise.

To help you evaluate whether opening and operating a composting facility is a reasonable option for your Iowa operation, you can use the following schematic outline to get a sense for the scope of the obligations you will be taking on.

You will first apply to the Des Moines office of the Iowa Department of Natural Resources for a permit to construct and operate a solid waste composting facility. The permit application includes the following :

a complete description of the site, including a map or aerial photograph, and to identify various features of the surroundings that might be impacted by your operations
a set of design documents (prepared by a licensed engineer) that specifies the site layout, equipment, drainage, and other details
an operating plan that spells out the details of the composting method you will use, how long material will be treated, how you will store materials on the site, what steps you will take to avoid pests and nuisances, how you will manage storm water, how you will monitor the process, and similar concerns
a closure plan describing what steps you will take when the time comes to close the site

You will then be required to

have the operators of the facility certified by an approved program
keep records of your operations
report a summary of your records annually to the solid waste section and the waste management assistance division.

Finally, you will have to provide an updated closure plan at least 60 days before you actually close the site.

In addition to the composting facility permit, you will also need to submit a comprehensive solid waste management plan to the Land Quality and Waste Management Assistance Division of the Iowa DNR. The details concerning what the plan must cover are spelled out in Chapter 567, Section 101 of the Iowa code.

Special rules for on-farm composting of dead animals

Farmers and operators of animal feeding operations can compost dead animals generated on their own sites under a somewhat less stringent set of rules in Iowa. You are "encouraged" to notify the waste management assistance division before you begin composting operations, and are likewise encouraged to have your operators trained and certified by an approved program. You will be exempt from obtaining a permit if you fulfill certain conditions, including:

providing an impermeable surface under the compost area
promptly covering the animals (within 24 hours)
avoiding runoff, leachate, and nuisances
composting thoroughly (full decomposition of all soft tissue)
storing finished compost for no more than 18 months

You can find the conditions spelled out in section 105.9 of the composting facility rule. A review of the rule, and some very useful composting information, can be found in a document from Iowa State University.

Commercial composting facilities in Iowa

There are a relatively small number of commercial composting facilities in Iowa who will accept appreciable quantities of waste from meat processors. A list of all composting facilities (including all permitted facilities, whether or not they accept meat processing wastes) can be found on the Iowa DNR website. (The list may be accessed in PDF format, which can be easily printed, but which divides facility names and other contact information into separate pages that require manual recombination into a readable table. Readers with the appropriate software may prefer to access the list in spreadsheet format.)