Poultry Litter Transport Incentive Program Closes

No incentive funds for litter ordered after May 5

Program runs out of funds due to overwhelming participation. Plans underway to find more funds for successful program.

Due to the overwhelming participation in the OCC Water Quality Division’s Poultry Litter Transport Incentive Program, all funds originally budgeted have been expended. OCC is fully committed to providing incentive payments to those who have received the litter are expecting transportation incentive payment. However, there are no incentive funds for litter ordered after May 5.

When the program of moving litter was put in the hands of conservation districts the process sped up significantly. It took over three years to spend the first grant of $480,000 and it took less than three months to spend the current grant of $300,000. “I believe that even the poultry industry itself has been surprised at how quickly litter moved when the job was put in the hands of conservation districts,” said Dan Butler, OCC Water Quality Division director.

OCC is applying to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency for more money to go into the incentive program. “We expect that the incentive rate will drop to $.03/ton/loaded mile but the districts who handle the claim will still receive $1.00/ton for processing the claim,” Butler said. This means that the next allotment of funds will move more tons of litter so there will be more money for conservation districts. We will do everything we can to ensure that additional money is available as soon as possible.

“Thank you very much,” Butler said, speaking to Oklahoma’s conservation districts, “for all your hard work helping poultry growers move litter out of sensitive watersheds.”