Removal of Swine Carcasses from Iowa Flooding Completed
Release Date: August 20, 2008
Release Number: 1763-167
» More Information on Iowa Severe Storms, Tornadoes, and Flooding
DES MOINES, Iowa -- The state of Iowa, the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) announced today that more than 1,500 swine carcasses left from the recent floods have been removed and are no longer a threat to public health and safety.
This year's unprecedented flooding in Iowa affected more than just individuals and business owners. After the floods, cleanup of swine carcasses on both public and private land became a top concern for APHIS, a division of the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA).
The mission assignment was not without complications. Because of the extreme flooding, it was sometimes difficult to locate the carcasses. APHIS therefore provided aerial and on-the-ground surveillance to help locate the hogs. In addition, in some cases the flood waters were too deep for vehicles but too shallow for boats with deep hulls. The contractor had to use several flat bottom air boats to complete the assignment.
Despite the heat and humidity that occurred immediately after the flooding, personnel from the contractor, Clean Harbors Environmental Services, donned full contamination suits to protect them from potential chemicals in the water before locating and removing the carcasses.
With help from the state, APHIS' Veterinary Services (VS) program coordinated much of the effort, ensuring that all contractors and volunteers had proper credentials and acquiring permission for access from landowners. The latter was sometimes difficult because many of the farmers' homes were also flooded and they had temporarily moved to other locations.
After removal, the carcasses were transported to an approved landfill in Illinois. The carcasses totaled more than 83,000 pounds.
"This is something many citizens don't think about," said FEMA Federal Coordinating Officer Bill Vogel. "But removing potentially contaminated carcasses is essential to the health and well-being of the public, and in this case it was accomplished on July 18, less than one month from when the mission was assigned."
When it became apparent that flooding would occur, approximately 37,000 head of hogs were evacuated from Southeast Iowa and a few animals that were unable to be removed were released to access dry land. These hogs also had to be located and 69 were rescued by non-governmental organizations.
FEMA coordinates the federal government's role in preparing for, preventing, mitigating the effects of, responding to, and recovering from all domestic disasters, whether natural or man-made, including acts of terror.
Last Modified: Thursday, 21-Aug-2008 16:38:50