Vol. 397 No. 10
79 Mr. Garland asked the Minister for the Environment if he will give details of the proper effluent management of pig slurry; if he will explain the bandspread method and the soil injection method of pig slurry disposal; and the research, if any, which has been carried out to ascertain that these methods are environmentally sound.
The matter of proper effluent management of slurry is a very broad question which can only be answered in general terms. However, the following general guidelines are relevant.
Every effort should be made to minimise the volume of slurry in the first place by preventing dilution by storm water run-off from farm roofs and yards. Adequate storage, usually four to six months, should be provided to avoid the need for spreading in unfavourable conditions. Requirements will vary in different parts of the country. More comprehensive guidelines on storage are contained in a booklet entitled Guidelines and Recommendations on Control of Pollution from Farmyard Wastes issued by the Department of Agriculture and Food. This booklet is available in the Oireachtas Library.
The rates of spreading and times of the year when spreading can be allowed without damage to the environment depend on many factors including soil type, hydrogeology, land slope, climate and soil moisture deficit.
Recommendations for the storage and spreading of slurry are provided to farmers by Teagasc. Guidelines are also contained in a booklet Farmyard Wastes and Water Pollution which was produced jointly by my Department and the Department of Agriculture and Food and issued to over 200,000 farmers countrywide as part of the programme of measures to combat water pollution. Slurry should not be spread too close to lakes, rivers, steams, field drains or boreholes to avoid pollution. The depth of this buffer zone will be determined by local circumstances.
