Jim Rogers (202) 690-4755 USDA
Jeanne Pipicello (207) 832-0343 UMCE
USDA CO-SPONSORS NATIONAL SYMPOSIUM ON CARCASS DISPOSAL
WASHINGTON, Nov. 1 , 2006 -- Agricultural officials and emergency first-responders will meet in December at the National Symposium on Carcass Disposal to discuss emergency and large-volume livestock carcass disposal.
In the last decade, a number of animal disease outbreaks worldwide have created a need for those charged with protecting animal health to understand the dynamics of carcass disposal. The foot- and- mouth disease outbreak in the United Kingdom, chronic wasting disease in North America, and the avian influenza outbreaks in Asia have all presented unique challenges in regards to large volume carcass disposal during a crisis. This symposium, co-sponsored by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, will bring together researchers, policy makers and first responders; to learn, discuss and evaluate issues and to research projects, policies and response options related to animal carcass disposal.
Highlights of the symposium include:
- Biosecurity and pathogen research;
- Wildlife and marine carcass disposal research, experiences, and challenges;
- Carcass disposal technology case studies, issues, and research;
- Past experience/lessons learned; and
- Planning for catastrophic events.
The symposium will be held at the Sheraton College Park Hotel in Beltsville, M d.,
Dec. 4 –7 during normal business hours. This symposium is open to the public, however, there is a fee of $275, and registration is required for all attendees. To register, visit www.composting.org or contact the Knox-Lincoln County Office, University of Maine Cooperative Extension’s Jeanne Pipicello at (207) 832- 0343.
Other co-sponsors of this event include the Maine Compost Team, the Cornell Waste Management Institute, the Iowa State Cooperative Extension, the National Center for Foreign Animal and Zoonotic Disease Defense at Texas A & M, the North Carolina Department of Agriculture, the Penn State Cooperative Extension, the Environmental Protection Agency and the Friends of Agricultural Research – Beltsville.
Please direct additional symposium questions to Mark Hutchinson at (207) 832-0343 or markh@umext.maine.edu.
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