Prepared by: North Carolina Division of Soil and Water Conservation  -  April 25, 2000
 
A summary prepared by the North Carolina Pork Council:
DENR LOCATES 1142 INACTIVE LAGOONS—39 DEEMED HIGH RISK:  According to a report this week from the Soil & Water Division presented to the Environmental Review Commission, there are 1142 inactive lagoons on 745 farms across 76 counties.  The inventory was a result of a 1999 General Assembly directive to list and rank inactive lagoons.  Using visual inspection and a series of assumptions based on the potential of nitrogen leaching to groundwater, lagoon embankment breach and discharge from overflow, DENR ranked all inactive lagoons as either “low”-demanding no action, “medium”-demanding further study or “high” –demanding immediate action.  According to DENR, 93% of all inactive lagoons received a medium risk rating “due in part to the uncertainty imposed by a lack of detailed understanding of the status and behavior of nutrients contained in inactive lagoons and limited data regarding actual levels of groundwater and surface water contamination.”  Adopting NRCS standards for lagoon closure, DENR estimates the cost at $42,000 per acre or $30 million to close all 1142 lagoons.  DENR recommended a $3.5 million, 5-year phased assessment and close-out approach whereby all high-ranked structures are closed immediately and medium ranked structures are further evaluated.

 Animal Waste Management  at NC State University - Bio & Ag Engineering