HELCOM RECOMMENDATION 13/7
Adopted 6 February 1992, having regard to Article 13, Paragraph b) of the Helsinki Convention
REDUCTION OF AMMONIA VOLATILIZATION FROM STORAGES
THE COMMISSION,
RECALLING Paragraph 1 of Article 6 of the Convention on the Protection of the Marine Environment of the Baltic Sea Area, 1974 (Helsinki Convention), in which the Contracting Parties undertake to take all appropriate measures to control and minimize land-based pollution of the marine environment of the Baltic Sea Area,
HAVING REGARD also to Article 3 of the Helsinki Convention, in which the Contracting Parties shall individually or jointly take all appropriate legislative, administrative or other relevant measures to prevent and abate pollution,
RECALLING FURTHER the Ministerial Declaration of 1988 and the Baltic Sea Declaration of 1990, calling, inter alia, for a substantive reduction of the inputs caused by diffuse sources,
RECOGNIZING the fact that a substantial part of the eutrophication problems observed in the Baltic Sea Area is caused by nutrient inputs from diffuse sources,
DESIRING to limit this pollution,
RECOMMENDS to the Governments of the Contracting Parties that:
a) storage capacity of farms having more than 5 animal units according to Appendix must be sufficient to allow application of manure on appropriate periods for minimizing volatilization;
b) slurry storages should be covered, inter alia, with floating coverages, membrane covers, solid lids or membranes, possibly in conjunction with retrieval of methane gas. Loading of storages under the slurry surface should be promoted;
c) urine storages should be covered in a way that prevents ammonia to volatilize from the storage;
d) programmes should be developed and action taken to implement the above mentioned measures and to report on the effect of these measures or any other measures taken to reduce ammonia volatilization from storages,
RECOMMENDS ALSO that the actions stated in a) - d) should be implemented by the Contracting Parties within 5 years,
RECOMMENDS FURTHER that the actions taken by the Contracting Parties, e.g. economic incentives, recommendations, regulations, agricultural advice, should be reported to the Commission in 1994 and thereafter every three years.
Appendix
to HELCOM Recommendation 13/7
CONVERSION FACTORS FOR CALCULATING ANIMAL UNITS (A.U.)
Domestic breed unit equivalent a.u.
to 1 a.u. per animal
CATTLE
milking cows
large stock 1 year-cow 1 1
jersey 1 year-cow 1.1 0.9
cow breed
large stock 1 yearling 3 0.33
jersey 1 yearling 5 0.2
nurse-cows with breed 1 year-cow 1 1
fat stock
large stock 1 yearling 2.5 0.4
250 kg 1 prod./year 5 0.2
350 kg 1 prod./year 3 0.33
450 kg 1 prod./year 2 0.5
PIGS
sow with pigs and porkers 1 year-sow 3 0.33
slaughter hogs
25-95 kg 1 prod./year 30 0.033
25-95 kg 1 yearling 8 0.12
POULTRY
broilers 1 prod./year 2.500 0.0004
others 1 yearling 150 0.0067
OTHERS
ewes with lambs 1 year-sheep 9 0.12
horses, 400-550 kg 1 year-horse 2 0.5
mink, fitchets, etc. 1 year-bitch 40 0.025
foxes 1 year-bitch 15 0.067