Compilation of Rules and Regulations of the State of Georgia › Department 40 - RULES OF GEORGIA DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE › Chapter 40-13 - ANIMAL HEALTH DIVISION › Subject 40-13-5 - DEAD ANIMAL DISPOSAL › Rule 40-13-5-.04 - Methods of Disposal of Dead Animals

Current through Rules and Regulations filed through June 27, 2024
Methods which may be used for the disposal of dead animals
				  are burning to ash, incineration, burial, rendering, or any method using
				  appropriate disposal technology which has been approved by the Commissioner,
				  provided disposal of dead animals is carried out within 24 hours after death or
				  discovery of the dead animal.
(1)
				Burial. Dead animals that are buried must be located more than 100 horizontal
				feet away from any existing or proposed wells and water supply lines, 15
				horizontal feet away from the edge of any embankment, and 100 horizontal feet
				away from the seasonal high water level of any pond, lake, tributary, stream,
				or other body of water including wetlands. Burial sites must be in soil with
				moderate or slow permeability and must be at least one foot above the seasonal
				high groundwater elevation. Burial sites must not be located in areas with
				gullies, ravines, dry stream beds, natural and/or man made drainage ways, sink
				holes, and/or similar conditions, including the 100-year flood plain as
				determined by the United States Army Corps of Engineers.
(a) Dead animals that are buried must be at
				least three feet below the ground level but no more than eight feet and have
				not less than three feet of earth over the carcass.
(b) Dead animals may be disposed in pits
				which are designed, constructed, maintained and used in a manner to prevent the
				spread of diseases. Pits must also meet the following requirements:
1. Georgia Department of Agriculture
				personnel must approve the site prior to pit construction. Soils must be
				evaluated for suitability prior to pit construction by a certified Georgia
				Department of Agriculture employee or a certified soil classifier.
2. The bottom of the pit must be a soil with
				moderate or slow permeability or other material approved by the Georgia
				Department of Agriculture that prevents leaching.
3. Pits must have adequate support along the
				sides to prevent cave-ins and must not exceed four feet in width. For top-soils
				having 18 inches or more of sand, pit walls must be adequately supported and
				maintained by concrete, treated lumber, corrosive-resistant metal or other
				material approved by the Georgia Department of Agriculture.
4. Pits must not be located where the ground
				slope exceeds a moderate grade.
5.
				The pit cover must be of solid construction and must allow surface water to
				drain away from the pit and water supplies. The pit must be sealed to prevent
				the entry of rodents, insects, and the exit of odors.
6. Pits will be considered closed when
				covered with more than three feet of loamy or clayey textured soil with a
				slight dome (at least six inches higher in the middle than at the
				edge).
7. Any pit that deviates
				from the above criteria must have the approval of the State Veterinarian prior
				to the issuance of a permit and use.