Ithaca, NY | jb29@cornell.edu

Jean has worked at the Cornell Waste Management Institute in solid waste education for over 30 years  Reducing, repurposing, recycling and composting solid and organic residuals to mine and redirect resources from our waste stream is a systematic way to manage our waste stream.

She works on composting feedstock from food to manure to animal carcasses. Currently her time includes work on food scrap, manure and carcass & butcher waste composting education and research. Characterizing waste streams is important to be able to separate and determine value-added purposes for different residuals. Compost quality and consistency in the market place is also a high priority, as well as encouraging use to build healthy soils and redistribute nutrients.

Previous experience includes working with different agencies including US Forest and National Park Service, US EPA, NYS DEC and the landscape and greenhouse industry.

Session Code: C4

Track: Operator

Session Name: Pathogen Testing, Control and Response

Session Time: Thursday, Jan 26, 8:30 AM to 10:00 AM

Presentation Title: Composting Response to Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza Outbreak 2022

Presentation Description: In 2015 into 2016, the US had it’s first outbreak of HPAI west of the Mississippi.  In 2022, it appeared to be back and with cases in all of the migration flyways into Canada. USDA APHIS leads the response using composting as a tool in the disposal lane with SME’s.  Every outbreak and cluster is different and it is important when responding to restrict the airborne disease spread to other birds, humans and the environment. The response is always being fine tuned to address different feedstock including birds, eggs feed, solid and liquid manure, wash water, feed, lagoons and everything else that is affected minimizing virus spread.