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Board hears progress on nitrogen depopulation trials, composting training and certified sampler drills
Summary
Staff described a set of preparedness projects including nitrogen‑based poultry depopulation trials (multiple trials with environmental monitoring and welfare data logging), composting training modules for mass‑mortality response, and plans to integrate certified on‑farm sample collectors into swine ASF response drills.
Board project leads described several preparedness projects funded through federal NADD‑PREP and related sources.
One ongoing project uses liquefied nitrogen as an emergency depopulation method for poultry barns. Staff described repeated field trials, on‑site environmental monitoring, and welfare checks using implanted data loggers. The presenter said the trials have tested flow control, barn sealing and real‑time monitoring systems. “We just finished our fifth trial,” the presenter said; the team is collecting environmental and individual‑bird data to refine procedures and generate operational checklists for use in emergency depopulation scenarios.
Staff also described a composting competency project—an online module plus field work—to maintain and expand expertise for carcass composting during a response, and an outreach project focused on livestock markets to plan for movement restrictions and the 72‑hour standstill in an outbreak.
A separate project will train and exercise certified on‑farm sample collectors for swine surveillance. The board is preparing a July workshop and a fall drill that will task samplers with taking, packaging and shipping samples to the veterinary diagnostic laboratory to test the logistics of wide‑scale sampling and shipping in a response.
Board members asked how these trained on‑farm samplers will be integrated into incident‑management communication and what triggers would mobilize them. Staff said many of the certified collectors are embedded in industry (market veterinarians, on‑farm staff) and will be activated through established veterinary and incident‑management channels; the projects include drills to clarify those roles.
No formal policy action was taken. Staff said they will continue trials and run the planned exercises and report back with trial reports and after‑action findings.
