Composting as a suitable technique for managing swine mortalities

parently fears that buried animals could contaminate groundwater and that emissions from incinerators could contaminate the air. All states allow dead pigs to be either buried, incinerated, or taken for rendering, and some states also allow swine carcasses to be fed to animals (e.g., Minnesota) or to be composted (e.g., Missouri).2Fewer swine farms now have the option of rendering swinecarcasses because fewerthan halfof the approximately800 plants operating in the 1970s are operating today.3Since most of the plants that had odor problems have closed, most of the public's concern with the rendering industry has been allayed. Farmers, however, are also concerned about the environment and, in addition, about the cost of disposingof mortalities. Consequently, they are searching for alternative processing methods that are inexpensive,environmentallysafe, and that adhere to the stricter regulationsgoverningwaste disposal.