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Crews work to pour a million cubic
yards of concrete to create a 240-square-feet in diameter
anaerobic digestion system. The system will convert cow
manure into renewable energy.
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TOWN OF WAYNE - Life on Terry Volm’s dairy farm has been a
little different lately, with the constant flow of cement trucks
drowning out the typical sights and sounds.
He’s hoping, however, that the sight will become a more common
one in the county, as the need to control methane emissions becomes
more obvious.
Volm is installing an anaerobic digester system to convert waste
from the dairy cows into energy.
"It’s supposed to be a lot better for the environment. It’s
a lot cleaner because you’re not releasing the methane gas and it’s
supposed to cut down on the smell when we haul manure - that was one
of the biggest selling points," said Volm, owner of Volm Farm
LOC.
Livestock waste contributes to approximately 8 percent of
human-related methane emissions in the country, according to the
United States Environmental Protection Agency. The greenhouse gas
remains in the atmosphere for nine to 15 years, and is more than 20
times more effective at trapping heat in the atmosphere than carbon
dioxide over a 100 year period.
