Environmentalists see global – on a planetary scale – risks in the plans of the Russian parliament to pass a law that will remove manure from the list of hazardous waste. According to news.ru, Greenpeace and Rosprirodnadzor opposed the bill.
We will remind, earlier it was reported that Russian lawmakers want to develop a bill on manure, which will help farmers to protect themselves from fines for not having a license to handle manure. As Anatoly Artamonov, the head of the Federation Council committee on the budget, explained, now it becomes impossible to “fight off” without this document in the countryside. ” Artamonov asked to instruct regional prosecutors not to look for violations in the actions of agricultural producers using the technology, according to which manure must rot for several years before being introduced into the soil, which contradicts the existing norms on permissible rates of fertilization into the soil. As a result, the senator said, “the prosecutor comes with an employee of the Rosselkhoznadzor and says that in this place the application of this fertilizer is a thousand times higher than the permissible rates of application to the soil and irreparable damage has been caused to this area.”
The State Duma suggested recognizing the result of animal activity not as waste, but as products – so farmers will not have to endanger their business due to fines. In addition, due to the cost of the license, the cost of goods increases by 25-30%. Officials noted that only producers of mineral fertilizers can oppose the initiative, as their manure and droppings can take a significant part of the market.
However, the initiative raised questions from Rosprirodnadzor. The organization noted that in 2020 alone they received more than 400 complaints about the activities of farmers – they related to the impact on the environment.
Now manure is processed in the lagoon – for about six months it is stored in a pit made of waterproof material. Waste is disinfected, loses its specific smell and becomes suitable for soil fertilization. This method does not require a special license, and the State Duma considers it modern and safe.
Nevertheless, Greenpeace considers the processing of manure in the lagoons to be imperfect. The association proposes to store and process waste in biogas plants – they are much more expensive, but many times safer for the environment. In addition, they can not only obtain fertilizer from manure, but also convert emissions of a powerful greenhouse gas methane into heat and electricity.
The environmental impact of manure has been recognized in many countries, and researchers are developing ways to reduce methane pollution from livestock. British scientists tried to secure waste with artificial lightning, in Brazil, cows began to be fed with special feed, and in the United States, special muzzles were put on animals.
Source: Rosbalt
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