Covering Open slurry tank

K.G.

Back in 07/ 08 we flirted with pad/lagoon but decide to go under ground concrete tank with a cubicle house on top.we also added some topless cubicles in 2017.one of the main reasons for going under house tank was all our silage comes from outside blocks and we weren't signing up for drawing rainwater around the country.the last few weeks have really proved to us what we already knew that when it rains heavy the tanks fly up so the roof is going on the cubicles this year.it was always in the plan and rails are there so it was always just paying as we go.with a fairly large tank in divisions we find we can just mix enough for a day or 2 spreading and then pump the dairy washings tank as the summer goes on so we never have much problem agitating .at this stage we.are happy with what we have think its as future proof as you can get and the house gives the option of winter molking if it becomes a viable option.the roof is cheap when you consider the animal and rain water storage savings
One of the hidden issues is lagoons are relying on umblical spreading to make them stack up.the downside is this can lead to fertility loading on the home block and nutrients not being recycled onto the ground it came from.also they kind need a big bang approach with slurry spreading which increases risk.bottom line we just get too much rain to be storing and spreading it needlessly

_Brian

Base price wrote: »

I would think so considering they were originally required to have planning permission in order to gain grant approval which at the time never mentioned covering. Put it this, our 350k gallon lagoon ain't going to be covered unless we receive a grant to do so.

Same for our open pit. It’s been thee 45 years without being covered. If they want it covered they can pay for the roof so.

Gillespy

They can pay for the whole roof. Keep hearing how cheap money is to borrow. Chickens are only coming home to roost because they're not being stopped. Let me guess, new science? Grave concern for the enviroment? No not that, these people hate you and everything you do on your farm every day. Spend best part of €100k on more storage, a big roof and a trailing shoe slurry tanker for the privilege of doing it all again in ten years time in order to comply with whatever they think of next.

Ban the building of new open slurry stores if you want, leave the rest alone if they're compiling and get a new hobby.

Base price

_Brian wrote: »

Same for our open pit. It’s been thee 45 years without being covered. If they want it covered they can pay for the roof so.

Stand corrected, but AFAIK there can't be retrospective planning legislation.

Bass Reeves

Gillespy wrote: »

They can pay for the whole roof. Keep hearing how cheap money is to borrow. Chickens are only coming home to roost because they're not being stopped. Let me guess, new science? Grave concern for the enviroment? No not that, these people hate you and everything you do on your farm every day. Spend best part of €100k on more storage, a big roof and a trailing shoe slurry tanker for the privilege of doing it all again in ten years time in order to comply with whatever they think of next.

Ban the building of new open slurry stores if you want, leave the rest alone if they're compiling and get a new hobby.

Base price wrote: »

Stand corrected, but AFAIK there can't be retrospective planning legislation.

Planning is for the unit the first day, regulation decided the use of the unit. Any commercial premises can and is regulated. The regulation has been put in place. All uncovered slurry stores whether tanks or lagoons have to be covered by 2030. That is it. As it is regulation they do not have to grant assist. However some may get around this if the tank is not used to hold stock already. Those with lagoons may opt to build a slatted unit in the lagoon opening.

However there are two catches. First if there is adequate housing for numbers already on the platform then grant assistance or planning may be refused. The other catch is TAMS are for limited amounts in each scheme. Larger projects will struggle under TAMS rules and any grant is limited to 32k maximum in present scheme next replacement scheme whatever name it will have will be similar. As well it will limit larger farmers capacity to get grant aid for other projects.

Regulation is exactly that. Every business area is regulated. If by 2030 your store is not covered both the council and EPA in the case of dairy farmers who are in derogation will be onto to you. Your will fail your Board via inspection whether it is beef or milk. You will have limited or no outlet for your products. You may be bought screaming and kicking to do it but do it you will have to.

_Brian

Was on a farm recently that had a 5% penalty applied after cross compliance inspection.

Tell ya lads. There seems to be an awful lot I’d be worrying about that makes no difference at all only to my own pride in a half nice workspace.

We will sit tight on the open tank. Don’t need more slatted space or shed space in general. If we’re pushed to it I’d think of backfilling 2/3 of it and cover the end, back filled section could just store stacked bales of silage.

timple23

Is the purpose of these new regulations to stop rainfall going into tanks or are they related to emissions?

If they are related to rainfall, it seems pointless if farmers have water/runoff from yards going into their tanks.

Wildsurfer

I think the problem with open tanks is methane emissions due to wind disturbance of surface of slurry. Slatted tanks that presently have no roof wont need to be covered

JohnChadwick

If a farmer decides to cover the open tank with slats and a shed - will he need planning permission?

alps

Floating covers are a very simple and cost effective solution here. They are common place in effluent plants and AD plants. Rainwater can be kept off the cover by a sump pump or left on the cover for long periods where evaporation removes something like 2/3s of what falls on it.

Evaporation rates are high as well from uncovered lagoons where a crust is not allowed to develop.

richie123

alps wrote: »

Floating covers are a very simple and cost effective solution here. They are common place in effluent plants and AD plants. Rainwater can be kept off the cover by a sump pump or left on the cover for long periods where evaporation removes something like 2/3s of what falls on it.

Evaporation rates are high as well from uncovered lagoons where a crust is not allowed to develop.

Never even thought of that solution is there anywhere you of using that system ?

alps

richie123 wrote: »

Never even thought of that solution is there anywhere you of using that system ?

AD plant in Timoleague has them. The effluent from the plant has come through a pasturiser before going tonthe lagoon, so it would have a certain amount of heat, which would help with the evaporation.

I've seen one on a slurry lagoon on an organic dairy farm in the UK..

richie123

alps wrote: »

AD plant in Timoleague has them. The effluent from the plant has come through a pasturiser before going tonthe lagoon, so it would have a certain amount of heat, which would help with the evaporation.

I've seen one on a slurry lagoon on an organic dairy farm in the UK..

I'm guessing its based around the same principle as a swimming pool cover ?
Drawback is its cost would probably be as much as putting up a shed over the lagoon?

alps

richie123 wrote: »

I'm guessing its based around the same principle as a swimming pool cover ?
Drawback is its cost would probably be as much as putting up a shed over the lagoon?

It's not

And it wouldn't..

😉

Donald Trump

Waste of time worrying about covering a slurry tower when feeding and collecting yards are uncovered.


Surely health and safety issues with gases as well for when you go to take off the cover?

richie123

Donald Trump wrote: »

Waste of time worrying about covering a slurry tower when feeding and collecting yards are uncovered.


Surely health and safety issues with gases as well for when you go to take off the cover?

Well I think its a given feeding and collecting will have to be covered no matter what.