#3262: Georgia Department of Agriculture Commissioner Stops Ash Disposal (fwd)

[Robert Corbett <bcorbett@netcom.com>]

From:nozier@tradewind.net

Friday April 14, 5:42 pm Eastern Time
Company Press Release
SOURCE: Georgia Department of Agriculture

Georgia Department of Agriculture Commissioner Stops Ash Disposal in
Georgia; Load Has Disease Potential, Says Irvin

ATLANTA, April 14 /PRNewswire/ -- Georgia Commissioner of Agriculture
Tommy Irvin has contacted United States Department of Agriculture
quarantine officials to deny permission for a load of incinerator ash
from Haiti from being disposed of in Georgia.The ash had spent time on
the ground in Haiti and has the potential to bring Classical Swine Fever
(also known as Hog Cholera) back in the United States where the disease
has been eradicated.The 100-ton load of ash originated in Philadelphia
and was shipped for disposal in Haiti. After being dumped there the
ash was brought back under orders from the State Department and was
planned to be buried in Florida. When officials there refused, the next
burial site considered was in Georgia near Folkston. Word of this caused
Commissioner Irvin to seek the help of USDA officials.``Due to the
seriousness of Classical Swine Fever, this material would constitute an
unacceptable foreign animal disease risk to our domestic swine
industry,'' said Commissioner Irvin. USDA has promised that the load
would not be brought into the state without the permission of the
Georgia Department of Agriculture and Georgia's Environmental Protection
Division. 

SOURCE: Georgia Department of Agriculture