Page 10 - March 2024 Issue.indd

DOLLARS AND SENSE by Tolbert Rowe

DAF
and Our Green Garden County

If something is not done about DAF In the process of converting a chicken
“Dissolved air flotation (DAF) is a and done quickly, we will become what from a fl uff y white feathery bird to a
water treatment process that clarifi es Governor William Donald Schaefer package of boneless breasts, chicken
wastewaters (or other waters) by the called the “...house of the Eastern Shore”, wings, and thighs, there is a lot of water

removal of suspended matter such as referring to the small “out” door facility being used. This wastewater contains

oil or solids. The removal is achieved by where you went when you had to go. all kinds of nasty residue that have no
dissolving air in the water or wastewater The Governor used a less acceptable use for man or beast. All of this waste
under pressure and then releasing the term to express his displeasure that liquid material has to go somewhere. It
air at atmospheric pressure in a fl otation most counties did not vote for the Ex- no longer serves any useful purpose for
tank basin. The released air forms tiny mayor of Baltimore. the chicken processor.

bubbles which adhere to the suspended
Some may recall Governor Schaefer Seeing an opportunity to generate
matter causing the suspended matter to
float to the surface of the water where making this comment to an Eastern income a wealthy entrepreneur/farmer

Shore legislator while walking to the
who is not from our state has seized on
it may then be removed by a skimming

podium for his first state of the state the opportunity to take this material
device.”

address. The Eastern Shore did not vote off the hands of the chicken processing

“Dissolved air flotation is very for the ex-mayor. plants, for a fee.
widely used in treating the industrial DAF systems have been used for At the plant, this wastewater is
wastewater effluents from oil refi neries,

decades as a method of dealing with monitored and regulated to the extent
petrochemical and chemical plants,
industrial waste using proven methods that the processor must adhere to
natural gas processing plants, paper
to remove and discard what is no longer proper protocol and procedures of
mills, general water treatment and useful, known as scum, and discarding collection, storage, and removal to
similar industrial facilities. A similar
it in a safe and effi cient manner. assure that this material does not leak or
process known as induced gas fl otation
contaminate other parts of the process
is also used for wastewater treatment.” What is happening in Caroline County or the environment.
is this DAF process is being used as
Surprised?
a method of disposing of animal Once the material is loaded into a

The above definitions for Dissolved Air processing plant waste, more specifi cally tanker truck at the processing plant it

Floatation Systems are taken directly chicken plants, and converting it to is taken to an offsite open-air facility or
from Wikipedia and has very quickly, a soil nutrient used by farmers to DAF pit in Caroline County where it is
within the past 12 months, come to the enhance the productivity of their soil. unloaded and the process of separating
forefront of a major issue confronting Th ink fertilizer. liquid from solids begins. It is from this
our county and its moniker as the open-air pit that the magic of turning
“Green Garden County”. chicken plant waste into beneficial
fertilizer happens.
Once this process is complete the
“Your Mortgage Consultant Since 1985”
residual beneficial material is pumped

Purchase or Refinance into a vehicle that will transfer and apply
the beneficial material into the soil. Th is

part of the process is monitored by a
farmer’s Nutrient Management Plan
which regulates what and how much
of certain elements are being applied,
115 E Dover St. Ste 3 - Easton, MD most specifi cally, nitrogen.
tolbert@baycapitalmortgage.com C. Tolbert Rowe,
www.baycapitalmortgage.com NMLS Vice President/Lending It is important to note that in this
182844 process we must rely on regulatory
410-819-3005 / cell 410-310-3520 agencies to monitor wastewater where
it is created, the plant, and we must rely
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