NEWS RELEASE l Ohio Department of Agriculture
Governor Bob Taft Lieutenant Governor Bruce Johnson Director Fred L. Dailey		Communications Office 8995 East Main Street • Reynoldsburg, Ohio 43068 Phone: 614-752-9817 • Fax 614-466-7754 ODA URL: www.ohioagriculture.gov • e-mail: agri@agri.ohio.gov

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

State Animal Disease Lab Goes High Tech in Carcass Disposal

Unit Works to Safely and Effectively Destroy Pathogenic Organisms

REYNOLDSBURG, Ohio (July 18, 2005) – Ohio Department of Agriculture Director Fred L. Dailey today announced the installation of the state’s first alkaline hydrolysis unit, a state-of-the-art system for disposal of animal carcass material.

“This new unit gives us a safe and secure way to eliminate waste generated by our Animal Disease Diagnostic Laboratory,” said Dailey.  “This equipment is a big part of Ohio’s first line of defense against animal disease incursions that could cause real harm to our agriculture industry.”

The unit’s new technology, manufactured by Waste Reduction by Waste Reduction, Inc. (WR²), of Indianapolis, Indiana, employs heat, pressure, and alkali to totally destroy pathogenic organisms, replacing more traditional disposal methods such as rendering, incineration, and burial of animal remains.  There are 29 similar units working across the country. 

The unit destroys previously hard-to-kill disease agents like prions, the abnormal proteins believed to cause mad cow disease, which can survive conventional processes like incineration.

The technology is environmentally safe. It does not release pollution into the atmosphere, and its effluent solution provides nutrients for microorganisms needed in waste water treatment, as well as needed alkalinity to offset acidity that results from the sewage biodegradation process. 

The unit also operates at a fraction of the cost of an incinerator; neutralizes toxic fixing agents, cytotoxic agents, and many other toxic compounds; and eliminates radioactively contaminated tissue. 

Proper disposal of animal carcass material by the Ohio Department of Agriculture’s Animal Disease Diagnostic Lab is a component of safe and effective investigation and control of animal diseases in Ohio.  This new unit will enable the department to dispose of up to 7,000 pounds of carcasses in an eight hour period.

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Media Contact:  LeeAnne Mizer, ODA Communications, 614.752.9817.