By Jeremy Cox
DelmarvaNow
Wicomico County will be the site of Maryland’s biggest attempt yet to find alternative uses for the Eastern Shore’s overabundance of poultry litter, state agricultural officials say.
Renewable Oil International, an Alabama company, has received a $1.2 million state grant to test technology it says can reduce the volume of manure by 50-63 percent.
The grant comes from the Maryland Department of Agriculture’s Animal Waste Technology Fund. It is the largest successful bid ever under the program, which has issued a total of $3.2 million since it began in 2013.
“This project is a great example of that commitment and a prime investment in new technology that seeks alternative uses for manure,” Gov. Larry Hogan said in a statement.
The company is collaborating with Chesnik Farms, which operates eight poultry houses on two farms in Wicomico. All told, the farms produce 800-1,000 tons of litter each year.
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