4. Animal Health Feed Ban Controls

4.1 Landfill/Burial

Definitions

For the purpose of this section, groundwater is defined as water drawn or extracted from an aquifer below the ground surface in a zone of saturation.

Background

1. Landfilling of specified risk material (SRM)—including bovine deadstock from which the SRM has not been removed, or SRM that has been subjected to intermediate processing (such as rendering or composting to decrease the volume)—is considered a permanent method of containment of the abnormal prion.

2. The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) Science Directorate performed a risk assessment on this method of disposal and determined that landfill/mass burial of SRM or carcasses from which the SRM has not been removed presented a negligible risk of bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) transmission to domestic ruminants.

Pre-Inspection

1. All sites that intend to receive SRM or carcasses from which the SRM has not been removed for disposal must apply to the CFIA for a permit to receive SRM for permanent containment.

2. The owner or operator of the landfill site must submit a completed Application for permit to remove, use, convey, treat, store, sell, distribute, confine or destroy SRM (CFIA/ACIA 5405) under the Health of Animals Act to the local CFIA Animal Health Offices.

The district office will forward the application and any associated documentation to the Area program specialist responsible for transmissible spongiform encephalopathy (TSE) disposal.

3. The CFIA inspector (Area TSE disposal specialist) who will be responsible for conducting the inspection of the site will verify that the permit application is complete. The application form must be accompanied by copies of the following:

• all relevant municipal and provincial licences and inspection reports
• detailed site plans including (where applicable) scale, north indication, relevant elevations, location of entrances, buildings, roads, fences, storm water ditches, surface run-off drainage system, leachate containment system, leachate treatment system, retention ponds, measuring wells, manholes, an indication of where within the landfill the SRM will be deposited
• normal operating procedures and any additional proposed procedures and quality assurance programs pertaining to the containment of SRM for landfills; and
• the results of any recent analyses or verifications relevant to SRM containment

If any of the appropriate documentation is missing from the application, the CFIA inspector should inform the owner or operator of the landfill site about the areas that are incomplete.

4. Upon receipt of a completed application for permit, along with all appropriate accompanying documentation, the CFIA inspector should contact the owner or operator of the landfill site and schedule an inspection visit.

Site Inspection: Engineered Landfills

Sites meeting the requirements listed in this section have no limits imposed by the CFIA with regards to the volume of SRM/deadstock containing SRM which they may receive.

Utilizing the documents provided with the application the CFIA inspector will verify through physical inspection, that the landfill meets or exceeds the standards (for each of the components outlined below) for permanent SRM containment, and that this is accurately reflected in the submitted documentation.

Note: It is permissible to have a specific cell within a landfill designated for SRM; in this case, specific requirements would apply to this cell, rather than to the entire landfill.

1. Separation: The landfill site must be adequately separated from adjacent properties to prevent domestic ruminants from being directly exposed to SRM and raw leachate. (Fencing or other barriers may be used to satisfy this requirement.) The site itself, or the implemented measures, should discourage access by wild ruminants and scavengers, including birds.

2. Signage: Signage should be legible, an appropriate size and installed at all access points around the perimeter. It should include information on ownership, nature of business, hours of operation, accepted types of fill, and emergency contact information.

3. Operation: Personnel trained in normal SRM containment operating procedures must be present when SRM is received and handled by the landfill. The facility must also be secured to prevent unauthorized access during non-operating hours. Operating and maintenance manuals must be readily accessible to operating personnel at the landfill site.

4. Liner: The liner for an engineered landfill and the associated leachate containment systems may be constructed of natural clay, engineered clay-compacted soil, rock, geomembranes (industry-approved plastic sheeting or high density polyethylene) or a combination thereof, such that the hydraulic conductivity of not more than 1 x 10^-7 cm/s and a liner thickness at least 60 cm (or an equivalent combination that corresponds to a breakthrough time of at least 25 years). The bottom slopes of the liner must be at least 2 per cent on controlling slopes and 0.5 per cent on the remaining slopes. More complex liner systems may incorporate further protective layers, such as sand or gravel and Geotextile mats.

5. Water Protection: The seasonal high elevation of groundwater shall be maintained at a minimum of 50 cm below the lowest point of the liner. Groundwater lowering systems may provide for positive drainage of the groundwater away from the landfill area.

6. Surface Water Management: The landfill must have a surface water management system that diverts surface and storm water from the disposal area, controls run-off discharge from the landfill, and controls erosion, sedimentation and flooding. This system must be hydraulically separate from the site's leachate management system.

7. Leachate Control System: The landfill must have a leachate collection network or equivalent that is hydraulically separate from the landfill's storm water system. This system should:

1. function year-round
2. provide a way to monitor flow
3. offer adequate storage capacity; and
4. provide appropriate accessibility for inspection and monitoring

The integrity of the leachate system is important as a part of the functioning of the overall landfill. If a problem occurs with leachate collection, results may affect the integrity of the containment of the entire landfill and thus of the SRM. Leachate generated at landfills receiving SRM that has been treated to meet municipal/provincial discharge standards will not be subject to further CFIA controls.

8. Cover: Daily cover material should be stockpiled or available above the working face before a vehicle arrives at the tipping point (large landfill) or available on site (small landfill). SRM should be covered before the end of the shift during which it is delivered. The nature and depth of coverage must be adequate to deter scavengers.

9. Landfill Cap: The final cover of any part of a cell or landfill accepting SRM must consist of a barrier layer of at least 60 cm of compacted natural or amended soil, or a geomembrane and a soil layer of reduced thickness with a maximum permeability of 1 x 10^-6 cm/s. Additional layers of substrates and final topography including a minimum of 15 cm of topsoil must be installed to minimize infiltration and erosion, and to prevent pooling of water in accordance with the local environmental standards and requirements. If the cap is not mounded to prevent pooling or ponding (i.e.,soil graded at a slope between 3 per cent and 5 per cent with vegetation or an armoured surface) or otherwise designed to prevent rain from intruding and forming leachate, then the saturated hydraulic conductivity of the cap must be no more than 1 x 10^-7 cm/s and it must be at least 60 cm thick.

10. Equipment: Equipment and parts of equipment that handle SRM must be designated as "SRM equipment". Alternately, the box interior of the vehicle delivering the SRM must be cleaned on site (at the SRM tipping pit face) by pressure washing to ensure all organic material is removed prior to alternate use. External surfaces of vehicles that may come in contact with SRM as it is tipped, packed or covered at the landfill site must be visibly clean prior to exiting the site. Associated organic debris, greater than 4 mm in size, in wash water must be contained within the SRM area (cell or landfill). Discharge from washing operations should be contained within the SRM burial area and be directed to the leachate containment system.

11. Integrity Breaches: Breaches in the integrity of containment must be reported to the CFIA. This includes: access by scavengers, domestic or wild ruminants; leachate escape; or movement of SRM or landfill contents out of the area previously approved by permit.

12. Records: Monitoring logs (including—but not limited to—well logs, leachate treatment records, gas management records, storm water management records, and disposal records) must be kept on site. The landfill owner or operator must keep records for a period of 10 years. A record must be kept for each day on which SRM is removed, stained or received or when carcasses are collected or received. Records must include the following:

1. name and address of the person transporting SRM to the landfill site
2. CFIA permit number for conveyance
3. date received
4. combined weight of the SRM and carcasses or parts of carcasses received
5. date of landfill (if different from reception); and
6. location of SRM within the landfill site (applicable to large landfills) as identified by a method such as surveying, geographical positioning system (GPS), etc.

Site Inspection: Natural (Non-Engineered) Landfills

Based on the parameters used in the original risk assessment (performed by DNV for the Government of British Columbia), sites meeting the requirements listed in this section are limited by the CFIA to receive a maximum of 4,000 tonnes/year of slaughter waste/deadstock, of which a maximum of 2,000 tonnes/year can originate from over-thirty-month-old (OTM) cattle.

Utilizing the documents provided with the application the CFIA inspector will verify through physical inspection, that the landfill meets or exceeds the standards (for each of the components outlined below) for permanent SRM containment, and that this is accurately reflected in the submitted documentation.

Note: It is permissible to have a specific cell within a landfill designated for SRM; in this case, specific requirements would apply to this cell, rather than to the entire landfill.

1. Separation: The landfill site must be adequately separated from adjacent properties to prevent domestic ruminants from being directly exposed to SRM and raw leachate. (Fencing or other barriers may be used to satisfy this requirement.) The site itself, or the implemented measures, should discourage access by wild ruminants and scavengers, including birds.

2. Signage: Signage should be legible, an appropriate size and installed at all access points around the perimeter. It should include information on ownership, nature of business, hours of operation, accepted types of fill and emergency contact information.

3. Operation: Personnel trained in normal SRM containment operating procedures must be present when SRM is received and handled by the landfill. The facility must also be secured to prevent unauthorized access during non-operating hours. Operating and maintenance manuals must be readily accessible to operating personnel at the landfill site.

4. Base/Liner: In place of a liner and leachate collection system, non-engineered landfills can be based over natural geological materials which have a hydraulic conductivity of not more than 1 x 10^-6 cm/s.

• if the area in which the landfill is located typically receives an average of 1000 mm total annual precipitation, the layer of natural geological material must be at least 2.0 m thick
• if the area in which the landfill is located typically receives an average of >1000 mm total annual precipitation, the layer of natural geological material must be at least 4.0 m thick

If documentation exists on the geology of the area and its hydraulic conductivity, this may be submitted, this may be submitted and further testing may not be required. Hydraulic conductivity tests can be done "in situ" or can be conducted off site with samples from the base of the proposed site.

5. Water Protection: The site must meet the criteria described under either a or b:

1. There must be a minimum of 1.5 m between the level of the bottom of the waste cell and any groundwater. The provincial authority responsible for water and other natural resources can provide documentation regarding the location of aquifers.
2. The landfill is constructed to operate as a hydraulic trap; If the landfill is constructed to operate as a hydraulic tap, then the water table/groundwater on all sides of the landfill cell must be not less than 1.0 m higher than the height of the leachate in the cell in order to exert water pressure inward on the cell and prevent leachate breaking through the liner. Wells to monitor both the water table and the leachate levels are mandatory. Data from the wells must be collected at least twice a year and the results recorded to determine trends of both the water table/groundwater and leachate levels. Should the water table decrease to less than 1.0 m above the leachate level within the cell bottom, all leachate in the cell must be pumped out to prevent entry of the leachate into the water table. The maximum leachate level at the bottom of the cell, above the liner, must be no more than 30 cm. Alternatively, the groundwater can be lowered (by pumping) until the requirement described in bullet "a" above (i.e. 1.5 m separation from the bottom of the cell to the groundwater) is met.

6. Surface Water Management: Some method to divert surface water should be employed.

7. Cover: Daily cover material should be stockpiled or available above the working face before a vehicle arrives at the tipping point (large landfill) or available on site (small landfill). SRM should be covered before the end of the shift during which it is delivered. The nature and depth of coverage must be adequate to deter scavengers.

8. Landfill Cap: The final cover of any part of a cell or landfill accepting SRM must consist of a barrier layer of at least 60 cm of a material with a maximum permeability of 1 x 10^-5 cm/s. Additional layers of substrates and final topography should minimize infiltration and erosion, and prevent pooling of water in accordance with the local environmental standards and requirements.

9. Equipment: Equipment and parts of equipment that handle SRM must be designated as "SRM equipment". Alternately, the box interior of the vehicle delivering the SRM must be cleaned on site (at the SRM tipping pit face) by pressure washing to ensure all organic material is removed prior to alternate use. External surfaces of vehicles that may come in contact with SRM as it is tipped, packed or covered at the landfill site must be visibly clean prior to exiting the site. Associated organic debris, greater than 4 mm in size, in wash water must be contained within the SRM area (cell or landfill). Discharge from washing operations should be contained within the SRM burial area.

10. Integrity Breaches: Breaches in the integrity of containment must be reported to the CFIA. This includes access by scavengers, domestic or wild ruminants, or movement of SRM or landfill contents out of the area previously approved by permit.

11. Records: Where applicable, monitoring logs (including—but not limited to—well logs, leachate treatment records [hydraulic trap sites only], gas management records, storm water management records, and disposal records) must be kept on site. The landfill owner or operator must keep records for a period of 10 years. A record must be kept for each day on which SRM is removed, stained or received or when carcasses are collected or received. Records must include the following:

1. name and address of the person transporting SRM to the landfill site
2. CFIA permit number for conveyance
3. date received
4. combined weight of the SRM and carcasses or parts of carcasses received
5. date of landfill (if different from reception); and
6. location of SRM within the landfill site (applicable to large landfills) as identified by a method such as surveying, GPS, etc.

Site Inspection: Mass Burial/Non-Contiguous Premises

Individuals or small businesses owning property not contiguous with the farm/premises of origin can apply for a permit to bury a limited quantity of SRM on the non-contiguous premises. The non-contiguous site must meet the same basic requirements for a natural landfill (as interpreted below). If requirements for burying livestock mortalities similar to those described below exist for the province/municipality in which the premises is located then the site must conform to the most restrictive of the requirements. Provinces or municipalities may also have additional requirements for burial of livestock mortalities , (such as the addition of lime prior to coverage). Compliance with CFIA requirements does not negate the need of the operator to comply with any and all other relevant requirements.

Sites not meeting the requirements listed in the natural (non-engineered) landfill section but meeting the requirements described in this section are limited by the CFIA to receive approximately 350 kg of material per week (equivalent to SRM from 7 mature bovine carcasses ) or 18,200 kg of material per year (equivalent to approximately 30 entire mature bovine carcasses or SRM from 360 mature carcasses).

1. Separation: The burial site must be adequately separated from adjacent properties to prevent domestic ruminants from being directly exposed to SRM and raw leachate. (Distance, fencing or other barriers may be used to satisfy this requirement.) The site itself, or the implemented measures, should discourage access by wild ruminants and scavengers, including birds

2. Signage: The site must have adequate signage to deter persons from entering (e.g. Private Property, No Trespassing, Company Name) and/or contact information in case people notice that the site has been tampered with.

3. Operation: Written procedures are required and must be reviewed as part of the permit application process.

4. Base: The burial site must be located in an area of geological material with a hydraulic conductivity of 1 x 10 -6 cm/s. Several basic principles can be used to select and test a site for mass burial of limited quantities of SRM. Locating a burial site in areas of highly porous material, such as sand or gravel, is not permitted. Clay is highly suitable and if obviously present is acceptable. If local geological or agronomics information is available, this may be used to document the acceptability (or unacceptability) of the site. Otherwise hydraulic conductivity testing must be performed by a qualified professional at the site or on a sample taken from the proposed site at the bottom of the burial pit.

5. Water Protection: Burial sites must not be located near potable water supplies (100 m from wells), near surface water, or in an area known to be subject to flooding. The site and surface of the pit should encourage rain run off. The provincial authority responsible for water resources should be consulted regarding the location of aquifers, wells and groundwater, and this information must be provided to the CFIA with the application for permit .The bottom of the burial pit must be located at least 1.5 m above any groundwater.

6. Cover: SRM must be immediately covered effectively in order to deter scavengers including birds.

7. Equipment: Equipment and parts of equipment that handle SRM must be designated as "SRM equipment" or must be cleaned on site by pressure washing to ensure all organic material is removed prior to alternate use. External surfaces of vehicles that may come in contact with SRM as it is tipped, packed or covered at the burial site must be visibly clean prior to exiting the site. Associated organic debris, greater than 4 mm in size, in wash water must be contained within the SRM burial site. Discharge from washing operations should be contained within the SRM burial area.

8. Integrity Breaches: Breaches in the integrity of containment must be reported to the CFIA. This includes: access by scavengers, domestic or wild ruminant; leachate escape; or movement of SRM or landfill contents out of the area previously approved by permit.

9. Records: The landfill owner or operator must keep records for a period of 10 years. A record must be kept for each day SRM is removed, stained or received, or when carcasses are collected or received. Records should include the following:

1. name and address of the person transporting SRM to the burial site
2. CFIA permit number for the conveyance
3. date received and buried
4. combined weight of SRM and carcasses or parts of carcasses received; and
5. if applicable, numbers of approved tags (as defined in section 172) on the carcasses, or, in the case of carcasses not bearing approved tags, the information referred to in paragraph 187(2)(a) regarding carcasses

Inspector's Report

1. All observations regarding the application, associated documentation and physical inspection should be recorded on an Inspector's Report (CFIA/ACIA 1520).

2. The report should clearly indicate whether the landfill is an engineered landfill or natural landfill.

3. The report should include a summary that specifically identifies any discrepancies between the site applying for a permit and the requirements listed in this manual (under "Pre-Inspection" and "Site Inspection" sections).

4. The applicant should address any deficiencies by preparing a corrective action plan and submitting it to the CFIA. Implementation and effectiveness of this plan will be verified by an on-site follow-up inspection before a permit is issued.

5. If inspections do not identify any discrepancies or deficiencies, the inspector will recommend, in the final summary, a period of time for which the permit should be valid. Permits will be renewed annually for landfill sites that meet all requirements in this manual, provided ongoing compliance monitoring is conducted. Ongoing compliance monitoring will be conducted via random inspections to verify of compliance with written standard operating procedures. CFIA inspectors will conduct compliance monitoring quarterly . Alternately, provincial or municipal inspections may take the place of CFIA compliance inspections.

6. The inspector will forward a copy of the report to CFIA program staff responsible for SRM disposal at the Area office. A copy of the application and the associated check list(s) should be faxed or emailed to the national SRM permit clerk indicating that all requirements for the permit issuance have been fulfilled. The national SRM permit clerk will issue the permit, forward an electronic copy to the relevant district and Area offices and mail the original to the permitee. The national SRM permit clerk will update the listing of SRM permit holders.

7. If the landfill being issued a permit is a natural landfill, the following additional condition must be added to the permit: "This landfill may not receive more than 4,000 tonnes per year of slaughter waste, of which no more than 2,000 tonnes per year can originate from OTM cattle."

8. If the site being issued a permit is a non-contiguous premises the following additional condition must be added to the permit: "This permit authorizes the burial of not more than 350 kg of material per week (equivalent to SRM from 7 mature bovine carcasses ) or 18,200 kg of material per year (equivalent to approximately 30 entire mature bovine carcasses or SRM from 360 mature carcasses)."

4.2 Mass Composting

Background

1. Composting is a naturally occurring biological decomposition process in which bacteria, fungi and other microorganisms convert organic matter into a stabilized product termed "compost" in the presence of air. Carcass composting systems require a variety of ingredients or co-composting materials, including carbon sources (i.e. sawdust, straw, etc.) and bulking agents (i.e. shavings).

2. The CFIA Science Directorate performed a risk assessment on composting. Owing to the current lack of published scientific data documenting inactivation of the abnormal prion through the composting process, the risk assessment assumed that the abnormal prion would not be degraded during composting. The resulting risk assessment found that SRM subjected to composting would present a very low to low risk of transmitting the BSE agent within the domestic ruminant population.

3. Mass composting has been identified as a useful intermediate method to decrease the volume of SRM to be disposed. Mass composting, however, is not an acceptable method of disposal. Under the CFIA's current working policy, only those methods posing no greater than a negligible risk of transmitting BSE to domestic ruminants are considered acceptable methods of disposal. However, in terms of SRM, the final compost will still be classified as SRM and thus will be subject to all regulatory and permitting requirements applicable to SRM.

4. Permits for final disposition of composted SRM will only be issued to pre-approved (permitted) single sites that have negligible risk for exposure to domestic ruminants.

5. On-farm composting will not be controlled by the CFIA if it takes place on the same premises where the SRM is generated and if the product (compost) does not leave the premises of origin. The CFIA has advised the provincial ministries (which have regulatory authority over on-farm composting) that it is not recommended for the compost produced from SRM and remaining on the premise to be spread on land directly grazed by domestic ruminants for at least 5 years.

Pre-Inspection

1. All sites that intend to receive SRM or carcasses from which SRM has not been removed for composting must apply to the CFIA for a permit to receive and process SRM.

2. The owner or operator of the composting site must submit a completed application for permit form to the local CFIA district office. The district office should forward this application and any associated documentation to the Area Program specialist responsible for transmissible spongiform encephalopathy (TSE) disposal.

3. The CFIA inspector (Area Program specialist responsible for TSE disposal) who will be responsible for conducting the inspection of the particular site will review the permit application for completeness. The application form must be accompanied by copies of the following:

• all relevant municipal and provincial licences and inspection reports
• detailed site plans, including drainage, traffic flow, distance from property lines, topographical diagrams and any geological assessments that have been done on the site
• normal operating procedures and any additional applicable quality assurance programs pertaining to the containment of SRM for composting; and
• documentation outlining pest control and scavenger access prevention procedures

If any of the appropriate documentation is missing from the application, the CFIA inspector should inform the owner or operator of the composting site about the areas that are incomplete.

4. Following the composting process (i.e. spreading, incineration, etc.), the owner or operator of the mass composting site must complete a proposal that outlines the final disposition of composted SRM. This proposal must include the controls for preventing domestic ruminants from being exposed to the composted SRM. Because the product of composting will remain classified as "SRM" and be subject to all regulatory controls, the transporter and recipient of the composted SRM material will also require permits. Applications for these permits should be submitted to the CFIA at the same time as the application referenced in point 2.

5. Upon receipt of a completed application for permit, including all appropriate accompanying documentation, the CFIA inspector should contact the owner or operator of the composting site and schedule an inspection visit.

Site Inspection

1. Separation: Property of the composting site must have adequate separation from adjacent properties to prevent access by domestic ruminants and humans to SRM. (Fences or other barriers may be used to satisfy this requirement.) The site itself or implemented measures should discourage access by wild ruminants and scavengers.

2. Signage: Ensure signage is legible and installed at all access points around the perimeter. Signage shall include information on hours of operation, telephone numbers for emergency contacts and types of material accepted for composting.

3. Operation: Ensure that personnel who are trained in normal operating procedures, as they pertain to SRM containment, are present during all SRM-receiving hours of operation. Lock gates and doors during all non-operating hours of the composting site. Make readily accessible operating and maintenance manuals to operating personnel who are present at the composting site.

4. Site preparation: Site location and plot should follow the prescribed details, as outlined in the applicable provincial standard. For provinces without provincial standards, a Canadian provincial standard should be selected and followed. The site should be constructed with a base of limited porosity that provides for leachate containment from a substrate which has a hydraulic conductivity of 1 x 10^-7 cm/s) or less. In addition, the maximum seasonal high water table should be not less than 0.5 m below the bottom of the base substrate layer.

5. Cleaning: Equipment and parts of equipment that handle or turn compost should be designated as SRM equipment. Alternatively, if not dedicated, the external surfaces of the vehicle that may have come in contact with the composted SRM material at the site must be subject to cleaning by pressure washing. Organic debris associated with the wash water greater than 4 mm in diameter must be added to the compost or contained within the site permitted to receive SRM.

6. Leachate Control system: The composting process should be formulated to prevent the formation of leachate. Any liquid which does develop must be collected and re-incorporated into compost material to prevent the release of leachate from the composting site.

7. The compost must be confined to the composting site until further permitting is obtained from the CFIA authorizing the final disposition of the composted SRM. Alternatively, final SRM disposal may be under taken on site (spreading) if permitted by provincial and municipal legislation.

8. Records: Maintain and keep on site, monitoring logs, including but not limited to delivery logs, visitor logs and amounts of co-composting agents added to SRM. Integrity breeches (i.e. access by scavengers, domestic or wild ruminants, leachate escape or movement of SRM or compost out of area previously approved by permit) must be reported to the CFIA.

The owner or operator of the composting site must keep records for a period of 10 years. A record must be kept for each day on which the SRM is removed, stained or received or when the carcasses are collected or received.

Records must include:

• the person's name and address and the date of the removal, staining, collection or reception
• the combined weight of the SRM and the carcasses or parts of carcasses collected or received, as well as the number of those carcasses
• the name of the dye used to identify the SRM or the carcasses
• the numbers of the approved tags, as defined in Section 172, that are on the carcasses or, in the case of carcasses not bearing approved tags, the information referred to in paragraph 187(2)(a) in respect of the carcasses
• if the person treated, confined or destroyed the SRM or the carcasses, the date on which and the manner in which the SRM or the carcasses were treated, confined or destroyed; and
• if the person did not confine or destroy the SRM or the carcasses:
  • the name and address of the person, if any, who received the SRM or carcasses from him or her
  • the name and address of the person, if any, who transferred the SRM or the carcasses to another location and the manner in which the SRM or the carcasses were transferred; and
  • the name and address, if known to the person, of the person, if any, who confined or destroyed the SRM or the carcasses

Inspector's Report

1. All observations regarding the application, associated documentation and physical inspection should be recorded on an Inspector's Report (CFIA/ACIA 1520).

2. In summary, the report should specifically identify areas of discrepancies between the composting site applying for a permit and the requirements as listed in this manual (refer to Section 4.2—Mass Composting).

3. All deficiencies need to be addressed with a written corrective action plan by the applicant and are to be verified for effectiveness by a follow-up on-site inspection prior to issuing a permit.

4. If inspections do not identify any areas of discrepancy or deficiency, the inspector should in final summary include a recommendation of the period of time for which the permit should be valid. Permits will be issued annually for composting sites that fulfil all requirements listed in this manual, provided ongoing compliance monitoring is conducted. Ongoing compliance monitoring will be conducted via random inspections for verification of compliance with written standard operating procedures. CFIA inspectors will conduct compliance monitoring quarterly.

5. A copy of the report should be forwarded to the CFIA program staff responsible for SRM disposal at the Area office. A copy of the application and the associated checklist(s) should be faxed or emailed to the national SRM permit clerk indicating that all requirements for permit issuance have been fulfilled. The national SRM permit clerk will issue the permit, forward an electronic copy to the relevant district and Area offices and mail the original to the permitee. The national SRM permit clerk will update the listing of SRM permit holders.

4.3 Salvage

Background

1. Every year, North American fur farms and zoos use agricultural by-products as an animal feed source. The main components of feed are waste and by-products from the commercial meat (meat that cannot be used for human consumption), poultry, egg, and fishing industries. There is an opportunity to salvage quality protein from bovine carcasses as feed for foxes, mink and other fur animals, or as environmental stimuli for captive-raised carnivores. Hide removal from bovine deadstock is also not uncommon. Salvaging non-specified risk material (non-SRM) tissues from carcasses containing SRM will be controlled through the issuance of permits from the CFIA.

2. The salvaged non-SRM tissues of a bovine carcass are not subject to further CFIA control. Hides salvaged from bovine deadstock that are accidentally contaminated with SRM must be treated (washed/vacuumed) to remove any potential gross SRM contamination prior to leaving the salvage premises. The subsequent transportation and final disposal site of the remaining bovine carcass containing SRM must also be controlled through the issuance of permits from the CFIA.

3. Permits and control measures will not be required for salvage of non-SRM tissues from bovine carcasses containing SRM if the salvage occurs on the premises of origin, but the disposition of these materials on the premises of origin is still subject to any provincial agricultural, environmental, or public health control measures in effect.

4. Harvesting of trophy skulls (skulls are included in the definition of SRM) from edible carcasses for processing (cleaning and disinfection) and sale can be authorized if procedures are satisfactory to negate disease risk and if all activities are covered by appropriately worded permit(s).

5. Calves and fetuses: Dead bovine fetuses are not considered SRM. Dead calves of any age (from which the SRM has not been removed) are considered SRM. Guidelines for visual distinction between a fetus and a calf are as follows: if the animal has the form of a calf and is covered with hair (i.e. looks like a calf), without additional supporting evidence to the contrary, it is to be handled as a calf and thus SRM.

6. Premises with full-time, on-site veterinary inspection may handle fetuses removed from cows post-mortem as non-SRM, provided the inedible non-SRM tissue is sent directly to a renderer and is not mixed in transport with any inedible material from any other abattoir or site not subject to full-time veterinary inspection. Calves that are born and die on the premises must be handled as SRM.

7. On individual premises, such as farms and veterinary clinics or hospitals, dead fetuses or dead term calves that are removed from a cow may be considered and handled as non-SRM if accompanied by a statement from the attending veterinarian that the dead animal is a fetus (not a calf).

Pre-Inspection

1. All sites that intend to salvage non-SRM tissues from bovine carcasses containing SRM, other than on the premises of origin, must apply to the CFIA for a permit.

2. The owner or operator of the salvage site must submit a completed Application for permit to remove, use, convey, treat, store, sell, distribute, confine or destroy SRM (CFIA/ACIA 5405) under the Health of Animals Act to the local CFIA Animal Health Offices.

3. The CFIA inspector (district inspectors) who will be responsible for conducting the inspection of the site will review the permit application for completeness. The application form must be accompanied by copies of the following documentation:

• all relevant municipal and provincial licences
• a detailed written description of what non-SRM bovine tissues will be salvaged
• the intended use of non-SRM bovine tissues
• normal operating procedures and any applicable quality assurance programs pertaining to the salvage of non-SRM tissues from bovine carcasses
• the site plan where non-SRM bovine tissues will be salvaged
• the plan for disposal of the remaining SRM tissues; and
• the disposal permit or the applicable disposal permit number for the non-salvaged parts of bovine carcasses containing SRM

If any of the appropriate documentation is missing from the application, the CFIA district inspector should inform the owner or operator of the salvage site.

Upon receipt of a completed application for permit (including all required documentation), the CFIA district inspector should contact the owner or operator and schedule an inspection visit.

4. For premises (such as a feedlot or veal operation) planning to remove SRM—distal ileum from under-30-month-old (UTM) bovines—prior to the removal of the remaining carcass from the premises as non-SRM, owners must submit written operating procedures to their district CFIA SRM inspector for review and approval.

Operating procedures must describe:

• the layout of the premises
• where, in relation to the animals, the SRM will be removed
• exactly where the SRM will be placed upon removal from an animal
• staining procedures
• where the SRM will be stored (if temporarily stored for pick-up)
• where the non-SRM carcass will be stored for disposal
• where the SRM will be moved for disposal
• who will remove the SRM
• how the SRM will be removed from the carcasses
• what equipment will be used for the removal of the SRM from the carcasses
• whether the equipment will be dedicated or cleaned and disinfected after use
• where the equipment will be stored
• a training program for all staff who will remove SRM (e.g. correct identification of the distal ileum)
• records that will be maintained
• contingency plans if trained staff are unavailable; and
• how SRM removal from each carcass will be verified (i.e. how employees can differentiate between a carcass with the SRM removed from one still with the SRM)

5. A CFIA district SRM inspector should conduct a site visit. When approved, the inspector should sign and date a copy of the written operating procedures provided by the premises. Changes to the procedures will require a review of the new procedures by the CFIA district inspector. Owners or operators of premises should be instructed, in writing, to notify the CFIA of updates to their written procedures.

6. Salvaged hides may be grossly contaminated with SRM from leakage during salvage or from contact with the floor onto which SRM may fall or leak. Salvage sites harvesting hides from bovine deadstock where gross contamination with SRM may occur must have written procedures that include the washing (or an equivalent procedure) of hides that become contaminated before they leave the premises (in order to remove any gross contamination from SRM that may have occurred during salvage or from contact with the floor).

7. Trophy skulls for personal use:

Owners of Texas Longhorn, Scottish Highland, or another similar breed of cattle who want to assume possession of the "skull" of their OTM cattle, slaughtered at a harvesting site, for return to the premises of origin or for their own use require a transportation permit (Refer to Section 4.5—Transport).

Trophy Skulls for commercial use:

Owners of Texas Longhorn, Scottish Highland, or another similar breed of cattle, who want to assume possession of the "skull" of their OTM cattle, slaughtered at a harvesting site, for salvage and sale must submit a completed Application for permit to remove, use, convey, treat, store, sell, distribute, confine or destroy SRM (CFIA/ACIA 5405) under the Health of Animals Act, accompanied by detailed standard operating procedures (SOP) that cover transportation and processing (cleaning and disinfection) procedures. As the skull may contain residual central nervous system (CNS) tissue, the site and method of cleaning and disinfecting the skull is of primary importance. (Refer to Appendix 2 for information on appropriate disinfectants.) If the cleaning/disinfection is performed on the farm of origin, the SRM (residual CNS tissue) that is generated from the process is exempt from further permitting requirements if it remains on the farm. The skull, however, will require a permit to be moved. Upon receipt of all required documentation, the CFIA inspector should contact the owner/applicant and schedule an inspection of the conveyances and processing site.

Site Inspection

1. Utilizing the documents provided by the owner or operator of the site that intends to salvage non-SRM tissues for animal feed from bovine carcasses containing SRM, the CFIA district inspector will verify through physical inspection that the various requirements to salvage non-SRM bovine tissues meet or exceed the standards outlined below.

2. Separation: Salvage procedures must prevent SRM contamination of non-SRM tissues. Salvaged non-SRM tissues must be removed and physically separated from the remaining parts of the bovine carcass as soon as possible during the salvage process. The risks and appropriate procedures will be site and scenario specific. Potential sources of contamination include the following: the head of cattle OTM that are killed with a penetrating stunning device; OTM cattle wherein the spinal column separates or is severed during the salvage procedure; and cattle of all ages that undergo severing of the distal ileum.

The distal ileum of all cattle, regardless of their age, is designated as SRM and must be removed and disposed of as SRM. The operator can comply with this requirement by choosing one of the following options:

1. remove and dispose of all cattle's small intestines as SRM; or
2. remove the distal ileum from the small intestine, and dispose of the distal ileum as SRM. To ensure the complete removal of the distal ileum, the ileocecal junction and at least 200 cm of the attached and uncoiled small intestine proximal to the ileocecal junction must be removed. Ensure that no piece of the distal ileum is included with any edible meat product or animal food product. Once the distal ileum is removed, the remainder of the small intestines can be salvaged as non-SRM inedible bovine tissues, provided the intestines were found free of pathological defects and that the above-mentioned anatomical locations are readily discernable.

Under option b, operators must develop, implement, and maintain a control program to ensure that the entire distal ileum is removed according to the specifications stated above

The program must include a description of the landmarks, procedures, and equipments used to define and measure the distal ileum to be removed. In place of a measuring device, an alternate piece of equipment that consistently provides the same outcome is acceptable.

Prior to its implementation, the control program must be reviewed and found acceptable before a permit to salvage or harvest SRM from edible carcasses or bovine deadstock is issued.

3. Operating Procedures: If, during salvage procedures, non-SRM becomes accidentally contaminated with SRM or is found to be in direct contact with SRM, then contamination should be removed from the affected carcass, meat product, or other tissue by trimming, washing, vacuuming, or other equivalent processes. In the absence of a sufficient procedure to remove gross contamination, the product should be treated as SRM. Hides that have been accidentally contaminated during salvage procedures must be washed (or another equivalent procedure) to remove all potential gross contamination. Washing effluent must pass through a drain or line in which the inlet has been restricted, or an apparatus must have been installed in the process sewer line, such that all particles in excess of 4 mm have been removed. Screened organic debris that is greater than 4 mm in size must be considered SRM.

4. Cleaning: If accidental contamination of non-SRM bovine tissues with SRM were to occur , the site and all equipment used during the salvage process must be free of visible organic material, cleaned, and disinfected (refer to Appendix 2) prior to reuse. Visible organic material contained in the cleaning effluent, greater than 4 mm in size, must be treated as SRM.

Washing of the salvage site must be performed in such a way that does not pose a risk of SRM contaminating non-SRM tissues.

5. Sites that are permitted to salvage non-SRM bovine tissues and that receive both UTM and OTM carcasses must establish procedures for differentiating these two types of deadstock to ensure that their appropriate SRM is physically separated.

For the purposes of this policy, the age of cattle can either be established by using reliable documentation that indicates the birth date of the animal or by examining the teeth. The CFIA recognizes original copies of official birth date documents, issued by registered breed associations, as well as birth date information provided by the regulated databases of the Canadian Cattle Identification Agency and Agri-Traçabilité Québec, as reliable documentation for determining the age of animals.

When reliable documentation is available, it should be used as the primary means of determining the age of animals. If age is determined by dentition, cattle are considered to be aged 30 months or older when they have more than two erupted permanent incisor teeth (i.e. the first pair of permanent incisors and at least one tooth from the second pair of permanent incisors). A permanent tooth is considered erupted when any part of the tooth is protruding through the gum, including those that have erupted behind or in front of the existing deciduous incisor.

Cattle will be considered UTM as long as the erupting third permanent incisor is not above the surface of the gum.

Alternatively, the operator may decide to treat all animals received at the salvage site as being derived from OTM animals. In this case, examination of the incisor teeth would not be required, and the entire list of SRM would be removed from all carcasses, regardless of age.

If the operator of the salvage site elects to age the cattle received, records should include information regarding the procedures used to determine the age of animals. If age is determined by documentation, the document will be maintained with the records for a period of 10 years from the date the deadstock was received.

6. The owner or operator of the salvage site must ensure that appropriate systematic measures are taken during the handling and storage of SRM to discourage access by birds, rodents, insects, and other vermin.

7. The remaining parts of the bovine carcass containing SRM must be stained and collected in containers dedicated for SRM as soon as possible during the salvage process. Operators of salvage sites must have arrangements for final disposal of SRM, including all necessary permitting by the CFIA (transportation, receipt, destruction, or containment).

Alternatively, SRM disposal may be undertaken on site (burial or composting) if permitted by provincial and municipal legislation.

8. Trophy Skulls: Producers of Texas Longhorn, Scottish Highland, or similar breeds of cattle who wish to salvage skulls of OTM animals must demonstrate appropriate containment and procedures during the transport of the skull from the harvesting site to the salvage site. (Refer to Section 4.5) At the salvage site, inspection must focus on the containment of any remaining CNS tissue that may be extruded from the interior of the skull during the cleaning process.

Procedures to prevent access by scavengers should be adequate. Burial of the skulls in a dedicated area of the farm of origin for a period of time is an appropriate approach. Disinfection procedures must be in accordance with Appendix 2. Waste from the disinfection process should be handled as SRM.

9. The salvage site owner or operator must keep records for a period of 10 years. A record must be kept for each day on which the SRM is removed, stained, or received, or when the carcasses are collected or received.

Records must contain the following:

• the name and address of the person responsible for removal, staining, collection, or reception
• the date of removal, staining, collection, or reception
• the combined weight of the SRM and the carcasses, or parts of carcasses, that were collected or received, as well as the number of those carcasses
• the name of the dye used to identify the SRM or the carcasses
• the numbers of the approved tags, as defined in Section 172, that are on the carcasses or, in the case of carcasses not bearing approved tags, the information referred to in paragraph 187(2)(a) with respect to carcasses
• if the person treated, confined or destroyed the SRM or the carcasses, the date and the manner in which the SRM or the carcasses were treated, confined or destroyed; and
• if the person did not confine or destroy the SRM or the carcasses:
  1. the name and address of the person, if any, who received the SRM or carcasses
  2. the name and address of the person, if any, who transferred the SRM or the carcasses to another location, and the manner in which the SRM or the carcasses were transferred; and
  3. the name and address (if known) of the person (if any) who confined or destroyed the SRM or the carcasses

Inspector's Report

1. All observations regarding the application, associated documentation and physical inspection should be recorded on an Inspector’s Report (CFIA/ACIA 1520).

2. The report should include a summary that specifically identifies any discrepancies between the site applying for a permit and the requirements as listed in this manual (under "Pre-Inspection" and "Site Inspection" sections).

3. The applicant should address any deficiencies by preparing a corrective action plan and submitting it to the CFIA. Implementation and effectiveness of this plan will be verified by an on-site follow-up inspection before a permit is issued.

4. If inspections do not identify any discrepancies or deficiencies, the inspector will recommend, in the final summary, the period of time for which the permit should be valid. Permits will be renewed annually for salvage sites that meet all requirements in this manual, provided that ongoing compliance monitoring is conducted. Ongoing compliance monitoring will be conducted via random inspections that verify compliance with written standard operating procedures. CFIA district inspectors will conduct compliance monitoring at least quarterly.

5. Permits for salvage are issued by the District Office, with the original copy forwarded directly to the permittee. The list of issued permits must be updated to include this permit. The District Office should maintain the following: a copy of the Application for permit to remove, use, convey, treat, store, sell, distribute, confine or destroy SRM (CFIA/ACIA 5405) under the Health of Animals Act, a completed SRM permit checklist for salvage, the relevant Inspector's Report (CFIA/ACIA 1520) and a copy of the permit. A copy of the final permit (CFIA/ACIA 5405), along with a copy of relevant Inspector's Report (CFIA/ACIA 1520), should be forwarded, by fax or regular mail, to the CFIA staff who are responsible for SRM disposal at the Area office.

6. Trophy skulls for commercial sale: Permits issued for the transportation and salvage of trophy skulls (of over 30 month animals) for commercial sale must indicate specifically the authorized activities. Under the description of activities section of the permit (CFIA/ACIA 5406) text, such as the example which follows, must appear.

"This permit authorizes:

• transportation of SRM (skull and residual CNS material) from (the harvesting site) to the permitee's premises (the salvage site)
• processing of SRM (skull and residual CNS material) on the permitee's premises where the processing will include cleaning and disinfection of the skull as detailed in the SOP dated "YYYY/MM/DD" submitted to the CFIA; and/or
• transportation of the cleaned and disinfected skulls off the permitee's premises to the premises of a person purchasing the disinfected skull for display purpose only

A record of the name and address of all purchasers must be maintained by the permittee for a period of 10 years. The bill of sale must clearly indicate that the skull is for display purpose only."

7. Trophy skulls for personal use on the premises of origin require the issuance of a permit to transport SRM (skulls are included in the definition of SRM). The issuance of a time-sensitive permit is necessary for the skull to return from the abattoir to the premises of origin, and is followed up by a compliance inspection, as well as issuance and application of any other required permits. Subsequent movement of the head to a taxidermist and then back to the premises of origin requires additional permits and inspection of both sites.

4.4 Harvest

Background

1. Every year cattle are slaughtered on-farm or by mobile slaughter facilities. The carcasses are often transported to a local cutting facility for deboning, cutting, and wrapping. In most cases, these carcasses are transported with a minimum of dorsal root ganglia (DRG) intact; however, with an emergency slaughter, most SRM remains in situ. The activity of harvesting meat for human consumption from bovine carcasses containing SRM will be controlled through the issuance of permits from the CFIA.

2. A transportation permit will be required for edible carcasses or parts of carcasses that still contain SRM and are removed from the premises of origin for further processing (i.e. transportation of carcass with DRG, slaughtered by a mobile butcher on-farm to a facility for cutting and/or deboning).

3. In addition, the transportation of OTM carcass sides or quarters with the vertebral column attached (i.e. DRG not removed) from a federally registered slaughter establishment to another federally registered slaughter establishment for DRG removal will require the issuance of permits from the CFIA. Federally registered and/or federally inspected establishments must adhere to all applicable controls and verification processes as outlined in the Meat Hygiene Manual of Procedures, Chapter 4, Annex N.

4. The harvested non-SRM tissues of a bovine carcass are not subject to further CFIA controls. The remainder of the bovine carcass (containing SRM) is sent to rendering, landfill, or another approved disposal site. The transportation to and receipt of the SRM at the final disposal site will also be controlled through the issuance of permits from the CFIA.

5. Permits and control measures will not be required for harvest of non-SRM tissues from bovine carcasses containing SRM if the harvest occurs on the premises of origin, but if so, the disposition of these materials would still be subject to any provincial agricultural, environmental, or public health control measures in effect.

6. The harvest of trophy skulls (skull is included in the definition of SRM) from edible carcasses, for processing (cleaning and disinfection) and sale, can be authorized if procedures are satisfactory to negate the risk of disease, and if all activities are covered by appropriately worded permit(s) (Refer to Section 4.3—Salvage).

Pre-Inspection

1. All sites that intend to harvest meat for human consumption as food from bovine carcasses containing SRM, other than on the premises of origin, must apply to the CFIA for a permit.

2. The owner or operator of the harvest site must submit a completed Application for permit to remove, use, convey, treat, store, sell, distribute, confine or destroy SRM (CFIA/ACIA 5405) under the Health of Animals Act to the local CFIA Animal Health Offices.

3. The CFIA inspector (district inspectors) who will be responsible for conducting the inspection of the particular site will review the permit application for completeness. The application form must be accompanied by copies of the following:

• all relevant municipal and provincial licences, federal registration, where applicable
• a detailed written description of what and how meat for human consumption will be harvested from bovine carcasses containing SRM
• normal operating procedures and any additional applicable quality assurance programs (Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point) pertaining to the harvest of meat for human consumption from bovine carcasses containing SRM
• the transportation permits or the applicable transportation permit numbers pertaining to the transportation of (a) cattle carcasses containing SRM and (b) the remaining parts of the bovine carcass containing SRM
• the plan for disposal of the remaining SRM tissues; and
• the disposal permit or the applicable disposal permit number for the remaining parts of bovine carcasses containing SRM

4. If any of the appropriate documentation is missing from the application, the CFIA district inspector should inform the salvage site owner or operator about the areas that are incomplete.

5. Upon receipt of a completed application for permit, including all appropriate accompanying documentation, the CFIA district inspector should contact the owner or operator of the harvest site and schedule an inspection visit.

Site Inspection

1. Utilizing the documents provided by the owner or operator of the site that intends to harvest meat for human consumption from bovine carcasses containing SRM and the physical inspection, the CFIA district inspector should verify that the various requirements to harvest meat for human consumption meet or exceed the standards outlined below and, where applicable, follow the Meat Hygiene Manual of Procedures, Chapter 4, Annex N.

2. Separation: Federally registered facilities must comply with all requirements as outlined in the Meat Hygiene Manual of Procedures, Chapter 4, Annex N. For sites that are not under the guidance of the Meat Hygiene Manual of Procedures, all applicable Acts and Regulations with respect to SRM remain mandatory. Therefore, it is generally recommended that Annex N be used as a reference document for appropriate standard operating procedures with respect to SRM removal from an edible bovine carcass containing SRM. In general, harvest procedures must prevent contamination of edible meat with SRM. Meat harvested for human consumption must be removed and physically separated from the remaining parts of the bovine carcass as soon as possible during the harvest process. The risks and appropriate procedures will be site and scenario specific. Potential sources of contamination include all SRM tissues from within the head of cattle OTM, killed with the aid of a penetrating stunning device, the spinal cord of OTM cattle exposed during carcass splitting or severing from the head, and the internal tissues of a severed distal ileum from cattle of all ages.

The spinal cord must be completely removed from split carcasses prior to entry into a dedicated cutting/boning area. Segregation from non SRM is required for any carcass parts still containing SRM that is exposed, and the equipment that is in contact with the SRM must be dedicated or, if feasible, decontaminated. (Refer toAppendix 2) Segregation of carcass parts containing SRM that is not exposed is desired but not essential as long as the SRM containing carcass parts are clearly identifiable at all times and are segregated from non SRM containing carcass parts during any processing that exposes SRM and for disposal. Written procedures must document the method of identification of SRM containing carcass parts, the control measures for SRM removal to ensure that SRM does not inadvertently become incorporated into edible meat, and the SRM disposal into designated containers. The disposal stream must default to SRM so that, in the case of operator error, non SRM becomes SRM rather than vice versa.

If carcass parts containing SRM that is not exposed are accidentally dropped on the floor, they should be picked up immediately and placed into the SRM disposal stream. In this case, there is no need to treat any floor waste or waste water generated in a dedicated cutting/boning area as SRM.

The distal ileum of all cattle, regardless of their age, is designated as SRM. Therefore, the distal ileum must be removed and disposed of as SRM. The operator can comply with this requirement by choosing one of the following:

1. remove and dispose of all cattle's small intestines as SRM; or
2. remove the distal ileum from the small intestine, and dispose of the removed distal ileum as SRM. To ensure the complete removal of the distal ileum, the ileocecal junction and at least 200 cm of the attached and uncoiled small intestine proximal to the ileocecal junction must be removed. Ensure that no piece of the distal ileum is included with any edible meat product or animal food product

As soon as the distal ileum is removed, it must be placed into designated SRM bins. If the distal ileum is accidentally dropped on the floor, it must be picked up immediately and placed in a designated SRM bin. Segregation between the distal ileum and all other materials should be maintained. If these two steps are applied, there is no need to treat as SRM any floor waste or waste water generated in and around that area where the distal ileum is removed.

After removing the distal ileum, the remainder of the small intestines can be salvaged as non-SRM bovine inedible tissues, provided that the intestines were found free of pathological defects and that the above-mentioned anatomically locations are readily discernable.

Under Option b, operators must develop, implement, and maintain a control program within their system, ensuring that the entire distal ileum is removed according to the specifications, as stated above. The program must include a description of the landmarks, procedures, and equipments used to define and measure the distal ileum to be removed. In place of a measuring device, an alternate piece of equipment that consistently provides the same outcome is acceptable. Prior to its implementation, the control program must be reviewed and found acceptable prior to issuing a permit to salvage or harvest SRM from edible carcasses or bovine deadstock.

3. Operating Procedures: If accidental contamination of meat for human consumption by SRM should occur, all meat is considered contaminated and must be disposed of as SRM.

4. Cleaning: All equipment used in the harvesting process must be cleaned free of visible organic material. If there is accidental contamination of the harvesting equipment with SRM, the site and all equipment used during the harvest process must be free of visible organic material, cleaned, and sanitized, according to the standards outlined in the Meat Hygiene Manual of Procedures, or for those establishments that are not registered under the Meat Inspection Act, an applicable standard for sanitizing is water at 82°C or the use of an approved good grade chemical sanitizer. Washing of the harvest site cannot pose a risk of SRM contaminating the edible product.

5. Waste fluid and water in parts of the site where the SRM is removed must pass through a drain or line in which the inlet has been restricted or an apparatus must have been installed in the process sewer line, so all particles in excess of 4 mm have been removed. Screened organic debris that is greater than 4 mm in size must be considered as SRM. If SRM is left in situ and only edible meat is harvested from the carcasses, this requirement may not apply. The CFIA inspector should determine whether small pieces of SRM tissue will be released onto surfaces during the harvesting procedures. If there is potential SRM tissue contamination or release, then, waste fluid and wash water from that section of the site must be screened for organic debris as described above.

6. Sites that are permitted to harvest meat for human consumption from bovine carcasses containing SRM and that receive both UTM and OTM carcasses must establish procedures for identifying these two types of carcasses to ensure that appropriate SRM is removed. For the purposes of this policy, the age of cattle can be established by using reliable documentation that indicates the birth date of the animal or by examining the teeth. The CFIA recognizes the original copies of official birth date documents, issued by registered breed associations, as well as birth date information provided by the regulated database of the Canadian Cattle Identification Agency and Agri-Traçabilité Québec, as reliable documentation for determining the age of animals.

When reliable documentation is available, it shall be used as the primary means of determining the age of animals. If age is determined by dentition, cattle are considered to be aged 30 months or older when they have more than two permanent incisor teeth erupted (i.e. the first pair of permanent incisors and at least one tooth from the second pair of permanent incisors). For the purpose of this policy, a permanent tooth is considered erupted when any part of the tooth is protruding through the gum. This will include teeth that have erupted behind or in front of the existing deciduous incisor. Cattle will be considered UTM as long as the erupting third permanent incisor is not above the surface of the gum. Alternatively, the operator may decide to treat all animals received at the salvage site as being derived from animals aged 30 months or older. In such a case, examination of the incisor teeth would not be required, and the entire list of SRM would be removed from all carcasses regardless of their age. If the operator of the salvage site elects to age the cattle received, records shall include information regarding the procedures used to determine the age of animals. If age is determined by documentation, the document shall be maintained with the records for a period of 10 years from the date the deadstock was received.

7. The remaining parts of the bovine carcass containing SRM must be collected in containers dedicated for SRM use as soon as possible during the harvesting process. Operators of harvest sites must have arrangements for the final disposal of SRM, including all necessary permitting by the CFIA (transportation, receipt, destruction, or containment). Alternatively, SRM disposal may be undertaken on site (burial/composting) if permitted by provincial and municipal legislation.

8. The harvest site owner or operator must keep records for a period of 10 years. A record must be kept for each day on which the SRM is removed, stained or received or when the carcasses are collected or received.

Records must include:

• the person's name and address and the date of the removal, staining, collection or reception
• the combined weight of the SRM and the carcasses or parts of carcasses collected or received, as well as the number of those carcasses
• the name of the dye used to identify the SRM or the carcasses
• the numbers of the approved tags, as defined in Section 172, that are on the carcasses or, in the case of carcasses not bearing approved tags, the information referred to in paragraph 187(2)(a) in respect of the carcasses
• if the person treated, confined, or destroyed the SRM or the carcasses, the date on which and the manner in which the SRM or the carcasses were treated, confined, or destroyed; and
• if the person did not confine or destroy the SRM or the carcasses:
  • the name and address of the person, if any, who received the SRM or carcasses from him or her
  • the name and address of the person, if any, who transferred the SRM or the carcasses to another location and the manner in which the SRM or the carcasses were transferred; and
  • the name and address, if known to the person, of the person, if any, who confined or destroyed the SRM or the carcasses

Inspector's Report

1. All observations regarding the application, associated documentation and physical inspection should be recorded on an Inspector's Report (CFIA/ACIA 1520).

2. In summary, the report should specifically identify areas of discrepancy between the harvest site applying for a permit and the requirements as listed in this manual (under "Pre-Inspection" and "Site Inspection" sections).

3. All deficiencies need to be addressed with a written corrective action plan by the applicant and are to be verified for effectiveness by a follow-up on-site inspection prior to issuing a permit.

4. If inspections do not identify any areas of discrepancy or deficiency, the inspector should in final summary include a recommendation of the period of time for which the permit should be valid. Permits will be issued annually for harvest sites that fulfill all requirements listed in this manual, provided ongoing compliance monitoring is conducted. Ongoing compliance monitoring will be conducted via random inspections for verification of compliance with written standard operating procedures. CFIA district inspectors will conduct compliance monitoring quarterly.

5. Permits for harvest are issued by the District Office, with the original copy forwarded directly to the permittee. The list of issued permits must be updated to include this permit. The District Office should maintain the following: a copy of the Application for permit to remove, use, convey, treat, store, sell, distribute, confine or destroy SRM (CFIA/ACIA 5405) under the Health of Animals Act, a completed SRM permit checklist for harvest, the relevant Inspector's Report (CFIA/ACIA 1520) and a copy of the permit. A copy of the final permit (CFIA/ACIA 5405), along with a copy of relevant Inspector's Report (CFIA/ACIA 1520), should be forwarded, by fax or regular mail, to the CFIA staff who are responsible for SRM disposal at the Area office.

4.5 Transportation

Background

1. Transportation of SRM, including bovine deadstock from which SRM has not been removed, or SRM that has been subjected to intermediate processing (such as rendering or composting), will be controlled through the issuance of permits from the CFIA.

2. Transportation of SRM will require a permit from the point of removal or on initial transportation of bovine carcasses containing SRM to the point of final disposal. Alternatively, a permit to transport SRM will be required until there are no end-use restrictions on the product.

3. Edible carcasses or parts of carcasses that still contain any SRM and are removed from the premises of origin for further processing (i.e. transportation of an OTM carcass containing DRG, slaughtered by a mobile butcher on-farm to a facility for cutting and/or deboning) will require a transportation permit.

4. Permits and control measures will not be required for SRM or bovine carcasses containing SRM if they are not removed from the premises of origin. The disposition of these materials on the premises of origin would still be subject to any provincial agricultural, environmental, or public health control measures in effect. If not prohibited by any other regulatory authority, the CFIA will permit SRM or bovine carcasses from which SRM has not been removed to return to the premises of origin (i.e. the last farm where the animal lived) for disposal. This SRM is considered as one of the producers’ own on-farm bovine mortalities and presents an equivalent risk to those animals dying on farm. The SRM or bovine carcasses containing SRM returning to premises of origin must be transported under the authority of a permit.

5. "Conveyance" is the structure in which SRM is contained for transport (i.e. trucks, containers, buckets, tarps).

6. "Dedicated" is the term used for conveyance that is exclusively used to transport SRM.

7. In the absence of a dedicated conveyance, any conveyance that has transported SRM that will subsequently be used to transport food, animals, animal products, and/or animal feed and in which there has been direct contact of the internal surfaces of the conveyance with the SRM must be cleaned and disinfected prior to reuse.

Cleaning and disinfection is required, because the surfaces of the conveyance that come into contact with SRM could potentially be contaminated with abnormal BSE prion.

Pre-Inspection

1. All individuals who intend to transport SRM or carcasses from which the SRM has not been removed must apply to the CFIA for a permit.

2. The owner or operator of the conveyance being used to transport SRM must submit a completed application for permit form to the local CFIA district office.

3. The CFIA inspector (district inspectors) who will be responsible for conducting the inspection of the transportation conveyance will review the permit application for completeness. The application form must be accompanied by copies of the following:

• all relevant municipal and provincial inspection requirements, including vehicle registration and licensing. This must include the method by which the permitted conveyance will be identified. For transportation conveyances with a licence, the applicable licence number will be adequate. For conveyances without a means of permanent identification (i.e. licence), the method by which the conveyance will be identified must be specified (i.e. visibly mark permit number on the transportation conveyance)
• all relevant provincial agricultural, environmental, or public health permits pertaining to the transportation of deadstock and slaughter waste
• normal operating procedures and any additional applicable quality assurance programs pertaining to the conveyances used in the transportation of SRM; and
• the location of the premises from where the SRM is to be transported, the transporter, the intended use of the SRM, and the destination of the transported SRM should be specified. This must include a copy of the disposal permit or applicable disposal permit number issued for the transported SRM

A permit for transportation will not be issued if the destination site does not hold a CFIA-issued permit for receiving SRM.

If any of the appropriate documentation is missing from the application, the CFIA district inspector should contact and inform the owner or operator of the transportation conveyance about any incompleteness in the application.

4. Upon receipt of a completed application for permit, including all appropriate accompanying documentation, the CFIA district inspector should contact the owner or operator of the transportation conveyance and schedule an inspection visit.

5. An exception to the above procedure is a permit required in time-sensitive situations, including an on-farm emergency slaughter that requires an edible carcass containing SRM to be transported to a processing site within a set number of hours, a bovine mortality that requires a transfer to a veterinary clinic for post-mortem, a bovine mortality in a veterinary clinic that will be moved to the premises of origin for disposal, a bovine mortality in transit that requires a permit to return to the last premises of residence for disposal, and a bovine head to be transferred to another location for preparation as a trophy, as the abattoir is not permitted to hold SRM/inedibles for greater than 24 hours.

6. In these situations, prospective transporters are to telephone 1-800-442-2342 and request assistance in obtaining a SRM permit. The call is transferred or referred to the national SRM permit clerk. After having ascertained that the situation indeed requires a permit within a set number of hours, the national SRM permit clerk must collect the following information:

• the transporter's name, address, telephone number, e-mail
• a description of the conveyance used to transport the SRM (licence plate of the truck or description of the tarp or bucket)
• the SRM permit number of the site in receipt of the SRM (unless it is the farm of origin of an animal dying in transit). Transporters without this information must provide the inspector with the name of the premises that is proposed to receive the SRM and, in turn, the national SRM permit clerk must ascertain that the premises has a permit to receive SRM prior to issuing the permit number to the transporter. Lists of permit holders, by province, will be generated regularly for the purposes of CFIA staff information and verification
• the number or carcasses and the approximate weight of SRM being transported; and
• the Canadian Cattle Identification Agency or Agri-Traçabilité Québec tag number(s) of any bovine carcass leaving the farm of origin are required under Section 175.(1) of the Health of Animals Regulations

7. The national SRM permit clerk generates a signed permit with an expiration date of 48 hours or less. The transporter is informed of the permit number and expiration date or, alternatively, a copy of the permit may be forwarded by fax or email. The original signed permit is mailed to the permittee.

8. The national SRM permit clerk must also instruct the transporter regarding the dying requirements, marking of the conveyance (with the permit number), relevant cleaning and disinfection procedures, and record-keeping requirements, as outlined under "Site Inspection".

9. The national SRM permit clerk forwards an electronic copy of the permit to the appropriate district and Area office. On the following business day, an inspector from the appropriate district office should schedule an inspection with the transporter. Procedures such as cleaning and disinfection should be reviewed, as well as the anticipated frequency of the activity that triggered the need for a time-sensitive permit. If the activity is within the scope of the producer’s or transporter’s normal business, the producer/transporter should be encouraged to apply to the district office for an annual permit.

10. Veterinary clinics/hospitals may apply for a permit to cover the SRM transportation to and from their clinic and their client’s premises, as well as the receipt of the SRM at the clinic. For specific requirements for veterinary clinics, refer to Section 4.7—Veterinary Clinics.

Site Inspection

1. Utilizing the documents provided by the owner or operator of the conveyance used for SRM transportation and the physical inspection, the CFIA district inspector should verify that the various requirements to transport SRM meet or exceed the standards outlined below.

2. No person shall transport SRM to another premises unless it is:

1. stained in accordance with legislation and corresponding to the provisions of the Acts and Regulations relating to staining SRM; and
2. in a conveyance, marked on the outside with the words, "specified risk material", in both official languages

Bovine deadstock from which the SRM has not been removed must be marked with a conspicuous stripe of dye or marker down the dorsal body, from the head to the tail. The dye or marker used should be easily visible in contrast with the coat colour of the individual bovine animal. The CFIA has produced a list of dyes and markers that have been assessed as safe for consumption by animals and have been tested for effects on hides. Deadstock being collected by companies solely dedicated to SRM (all trucks, all equipment, entire premises) may mark a lesser amount of the deadstock carcasses (e.g. just the head).

Processed products containing SRM that could accidentally be included in or contaminate ruminant feeds (i.e. meat and bone meal) must be stained with a dye that is conspicuous, indelible, and safe for consumption by animals to facilitate easy identification during transportation.

A transportation permit will be required if edible carcasses or parts of carcasses that still contain SRM are removed from the premises of origin for further processing (i.e. transportation of carcass with dorsal root ganglia, slaughtered by a mobile butcher on-farm to a facility for cutting and/or deboning). Edible carcasses must be marked with edible blue ink. For split carcasses, edible blue ink must be applied to the exposed surfaces of the vertebral column (cervical, thoracic, lumbar, and a portion of the body of the sacrum). For carcasses that are not split, edible blue ink must be applied as a continuous stripe from the head down the centre of the back of the carcass to the level of the sacrum (tail head).

For transportation conveyances with a licence, the applicable licence number will be adequate.

For conveyances without a means of permanent identification (i.e. licence), the applicable permit number must be visibly marked on the transportation conveyance for the duration of the permit (i.e. permit number marked or spray-painted on the outside of the conveyance).

3. The conveyance used for SRM transportation must be designed and operated in a manner to prevent contamination of animals, animal feed, and/or food with SRM. This can be accomplished either by dedication or by segregation and containment that is adequate to address the risks of the specific situation. That is, for whole deadstock, dividers may be used to compartmentalize a vehicle; for raw SRM/offal, leak-proof containers would be required.

4. All dedicated equipment and containers used in the transportation of SRM should be cleaned after being emptied and prior to reuse. The conveyance must be cleaned by pressure-washing and be free of visible organic material prior to reuse. Non-dedicated conveyances delivering to or receiving SRM for rendering must be cleaned and disinfected (Refer to Appendix 2). Cleaning procedures of the transportation conveyance must occur at a site that prevents domestic ruminants from having direct access to SRM, such as at the location where the SRM is received. Visible organic matter contained in the cleaning effluent must be treated as SRM.

If cleaning does not occur at the receiving site, washing effluent must pass through a drain or line in which the inlet has been restricted or through an apparatus that has been installed in the process sewer line such that all particles in excess of 4 mm have been removed. Screened organic debris that is greater than 4 mm in size must be treated as SRM.

5. Commercial sites receiving raw SRM offals should have vermin control measures (e.g. a cover) in place to prevent SRM being removed from the conveyance while waiting.

6. The owner or operator of the transportation conveyance must maintain records for a period of 10 years. A record must be kept for each day on which the SRM is removed, stained or received or when the carcasses are collected or received.

Records must include:

• the person's name and address and the date of the removal, staining, collection or reception
• the combined weight of the SRM and the carcasses or parts of carcasses collected or received, as well as the number of those carcasses
• the name of the dye used to identify the SRM or the carcasses
• the numbers of the approved tags, as defined in theHealth of Animals Regulations, Section 172, that are on the carcasses or, in the case of carcasses not bearing approved tags, the information referred to in theHealth of Animals Regulations, Paragraph 187(2)(a), with respect to the carcasses
• the date on which and the manner in which the SRM or the carcasses were treated, confined or destroyed if the person treated, confined or destroyed the SRM or the carcasses; and
• if the person did not confine or destroy the SRM or the carcasses:
  • the name and address of the person, if any, who received the SRM or carcasses from him or her
  • the name and address of the person, if any, who transferred the SRM or the carcasses to another location and the manner in which the SRM or the carcasses were transferred; and
  • the name and address, if known to the person, of the person, if any, who confined or destroyed the SRM or the carcasses

7. In time-sensitive situations, for which the national SRM permit clerk has issued a transportation permit and provided the transporter with a permit number over the telephone or by email or fax, an inspector from the responsible district office must conduct a site inspection of the SRM conveyance as soon as feasibly possible, following the issuance of the permit (next business day is recommended). An inspection of the conveyance, as already described, should be conducted with special attention paid to the dye and its application, cleaning and disinfection and record-keeping requirements, including animal identification. If non-compliance with theHealth of Animals Regulationsis identified, future SRM permits should not be issued without prior site assessments, and there may be a need for cleaning and disinfection to take place in the presence of a CFIA district inspector. This information should be reported to the Area Program specialist who is responsible for SRM disposal.

Inspector's Report

1. All observations regarding the application, associated documentation and physical inspection should be recorded on an Inspector's Report (CFIA/ACIA 1520).

2. In summary, the report should specifically identify areas of discrepancy between the transport conveyance for which the owner is applying for a permit and the requirements as listed in this manual (under "Pre-Inspection" and "Site Inspection" sections).

3. The applicant should address all deficiencies with a written corrective action plan to be verified for effectiveness by a follow-up on-site inspection prior to issuing a permit.

4. If inspections do not identify any areas of discrepancy or deficiency, the inspector should, in final summary, include a recommendation of the period of time for which the permit should be valid. Permits will be issued annually for commercial operations that transport deadstock or inedible SRM at a frequency of at least once per week. For operations that transport SRM on a less frequent basis, a permit may be issued and may be valid for a lesser period of time. Transportation permits issued to address time-sensitive situations should be valid for 24 to 48 hours. If producers anticipate that they will experience these time-sensitive situations on a sporadic but frequent basis (e.g. submitting post-mortems to their veterinarian), a permit application should be submitted and a normal multi-use transportation permit issued.

5. Ongoing compliance monitoring will be conducted via random inspections for verification of compliance with written standard operating procedures. CFIA district inspectors will conduct compliance monitoring at least once during the time the permit is valid for 90-day permits and quarterly for annual permits.

6. Transportation conveyances (i.e. trailers) will be identified by the applicable licence. For conveyances without a means of permanent identification (i.e. licence), the applicable permit number must be visibly marked on the transportation conveyance for the duration of the permit (i.e. permit number marked or spray-painted on the outside of the conveyance).

7. Permits for transport are issued by the District Office, with the original copy forwarded directly to the permittee. The list of issued permits must be updated to include this permit. The District Office should maintain the following: a copy of the Application for permit to remove, use, convey, treat, store, sell, distribute, confine or destroy SRM (CFIA/ACIA 5405) under the Health of Animals Act, a completed SRM permit checklist for transport, the relevant Inspector's Report (CFIA/ACIA 1520) and a copy of the permit. A copy of the final permit (CFIA/ACIA 5405), along with a copy of relevant Inspector's Report (CFIA/ACIA 1520), should be forwarded, by fax or regular mail, to the CFIA staff who are responsible for SRM disposal at the Area office.

4.6 Incineration

Background

1. SRM is regulated from its point of origin (kill site) until it is destroyed or disposed. This includes the permitting and inspection of all handling, processing, and destruction steps.

2. The CFIA Science Directorate performed a risk assessment on this method of destruction and determined that SRM incineration presents a negligible risk of transmission of BSE to domestic ruminants.

3. Based on the conclusion of this risk assessment, output from approved incinerators is not regulated by SRM controls—provided that it can be demonstrated that the ash produced does not contain amino acids.

4. The CFIA has approved, as an acceptable method of destroying the abnormal prion, the incineration of any form of SRM, in a primary chamber, at a temperature equal to or greater than 850°C for a period of time required to reduce all organic material inputs to ash (having zero detectable protein). The required residency time will vary depending on the size and nature of the organic material inputs being used in each particular scenario.

Time and temperature combinations that do not fulfill the above-described criteria will be evaluated case-by-case based on individual risk assessments.

Pre-Inspection

1. The owner or operator of the incinerator site must submit a completed Application for permit to remove, use, convey, treat, store, sell, distribute, confine or destroy SRM (CFIA/ACIA 5405) under the Health of Animals Act to the local CFIA Animal Health Offices.

The district or Area office forwards this application and any associated documentation to the Area or national specialist responsible for TSE disposal, who will then forward the documents to the engineer, contracted to assist in the facility inspection.

2. The application should include the following documentation:

• all relevant municipal, federal and provincial licences and inspection permits/reports
• diagram/description of property, equipment, and facilities, including buildings, storage capacity, yard improvements, road surfaces, and distances from property boundaries/neighbours
• a process overview describing the specific operating parameters:
  • temperature of primary and secondary chambers and method and location of such measurements
  • firing rate in BTU/h or Gj/h of primary and secondary chambers and the type of fuel to be used
  • nature of secondary chamber ((i.e., Can fuel be introduced automatically to maintain the required temperature, or is the chamber unfired and equipped with controls to automatically maintain the temperature continuously above 850°C)
  • residence time anticipated to achieve complete organic destruction to ash for the SRM products that would be received
  • volume of the primary and secondary chambers
  • volume of SRM proposed to be incinerated at any one time and proposed volume that would be handled annually
  • steps, sequence of process, and complete description of the incinerator operation cycle, including back up procedures, should the incineration cycle be interrupted
  • temperature trend data of a typical SRM incineration cycle which can be verified by recording thermometer instruments
  • copies of drawings, process and instrumentation diagrams, manufacturers' literature and schematics of the process including as many of the above parameters as possible
  • monitoring and control information:
    • gauge types and locations, and whether gauges are recording
    • monitoring and control systems
    • types of logs maintained
    • maintenance and calibration schedules
    • log books including computer read-outs, temperature charts, etc.
    • quality assurance checks
  • description of receiving, handling and storage including the following:
    • personnel required to operate the system for receiving, to clean the receiving area, to operate/clean the incinerator, and to dispose of ash
    • procedures for receiving SRM and charging the incinerator
    • storage available (for SRM and other feedstocks)
    • measures to differentiate or segregate SRM from non-SRM raw product on site (where applicable)
    • equipment and facilities
    • cleaning procedures for SRM delivery vehicles and SRM handling equipment (including washing equipment, drainage from washing site, removal of gross contaminates from the wash water, and discharge of the liquid waste)

3. The CFIA Area specialist or engineer contacts and informs the owner or operator of the incinerator of any omissions in the documentation.

4. Once the application is complete, with all appropriate accompanying documentation, the CFIA Area SRM specialist and engineer contact the owner or operator of the incinerator to schedule an inspection.

Site Inspection

Utilizing the documents provided by the incinerator owner or operator, the CFIA inspector will verify through physical inspection that the incinerator meets or exceeds the standards outlined for each of the components listed.

Handling and Storage

The CFIA inspector verifies that:

1. The premises where SRM is received and/or stored are accessible only by authorized trained personnel.

2. Barriers are in place to prevent access to SRM by domestic ruminants and scavengers, including rodents and birds.

3. SRM receiving and storage handling procedures are adequate to maintain containment of SRM and separation/identity of SRM prior to incineration if required.

4. SRM tipping and storage sites and handling equipment are dedicated for SRM use or they are appropriately cleaned and disinfected prior to an alternative use.

5. Effluent generated from washing activities (described in 4) is screened and all organic material larger than 4 mm is removed and handled as SRM.

6. SRM receiving records are retained for a period of 10 years. A daily record is kept and includes the following:

• the person's name and address, and the time received
• the transport permit number
• the combined daily weight of the SRM received from each source
• the name of the person recording this information

7. Operating and maintenance manuals are readily accessible to operating personnel who are present at the incinerator site.

Incineration

The CFIA inspector verifies that:

1. Tthe primary chamber is preheated to a minimum of 850°C prior to the addition of SRM. If the primary chamber is not preheated, any secondary chamber must be heated to a minimum of 850°C and maintained at or above this temperature during the entire incineration cycle, including the period of charging.

2. SRM remains in the primary chamber at a temperature of 850°C or above for the length of time required to reduce all organic material inputs to ash. Alternate parameters in time and temperature may only be used if based on acceptable results of a specific risk assessment conducted or approved by the CFIA.

3. Upon exhausting, all matter volatized by the primary chamber is further subjected to an additional controlled residency time of at least 2 seconds in secondary chamber at a minimum temperature of 850°C.

4. A temperature sensor records the temperature of the primary chamber and provides a representative measure of the gas discharge temperature from an appropriate location, such as the inner wall adjacent to the primary chamber discharge location or the discharge gas temperature exiting the primary chamber. The location of the temperature sensor must be such that the burner, if present, does not directly influence the temperature sensor or the immediate exhaust.

5. A temperature sensor records the temperature of the secondary chamber and provides a representative measure of the gas discharge temperature from an appropriate location, such as the inner wall adjacent to the secondary chamber discharge location or the discharge gas temperature exiting the secondary chamber. The location of the temperature sensor must be such that the burner, if present, does not directly influence the temperature sensor.

6. A log book or record is kept of the following:

• the SRM loading rate in weight charged per hour
• primary chamber temperature; secondary chamber temperature
• SRM residence time in the primary chamber
• the name of the operator monitoring the process

7. the monitoring system provides a continuous record of the temperature trend data for the primary and secondary chambers.

8. the integral physical components—including the burners, gauges, valves, lines, monitoring equipment, walls, doors, exhaust components, charging equipment, etc. are maintained.

9. the temperature gauges are calibrated at least once every 6 months or 1,000 operating hours, whichever occurs first, and manufacturer's instructions and recommendations for calibration, maintenance, and repair are followed.

Note: When requested by a CFIA inspector, the incinerator operator will provide an ash sample of at least 1.0 litre in volume for testing purposes. Ash samples shall be collected at the point of discharge from the incinerator. Test results must indicate zero residual protein.

Inspector's Report

1. All observations regarding the application, associated documentation and physical inspection should be recorded on an Inspector's Report (CFIA/ACIA 1520).

2. The report should include a summary that specifically identifies any discrepancies between the site applying for a permit and the requirements listed in this manual (under "Pre-Inspection" and "Site Inspection" sections).

3. The applicant should address any deficiencies by preparing and submitting a corrective action plan to the CFIA. Implementation and effectiveness of this plan will be verified by an on-site follow-up inspection before a permit is issued.

4. If inspections do not identify any discrepancies or deficiencies, the inspector will recommend, in the final summary, the period of time for which the permit should be valid. Permits will be renewed annually for incineration sites that meet all requirements in this manual, provided ongoing compliance monitoring is conducted. Ongoing compliance monitoring takes place via random inspections that verify compliance with written standard operating procedures. CFIA inspectors will conduct compliance monitoring quarterly.

5. The inspector will forward a copy of the report to the CFIA area SRM specialist for permit issuance. The area SRM staff will issue the permit, forward an electronic copy to the relevant district, and mail the original to the permitee. The area SRM staff will update the listing of SRM permit holders.

4.7 Veterinary Clinics

1. Across Canada, veterinary clinics that service bovines may be affected by requirements associated with SRM under one of the two following scenarios:

• veterinary clinics may receive dead bovines for the purpose of post-mortems performed in the clinic; or
• live bovines may be admitted to the veterinary clinic for treatment or surgery and may die on the premises, thereby becoming SRM on the clinic premises.

2. Permits and control measures are required for the transportation of all SRM to and from the veterinary clinic, including disposal. The clinic is considered the receiver of SRM so that receipt and handling of SRM within the clinic is also subject to permits and control.

3. Fetuses and stillborn calves delivered by a veterinarian may be considered as non-SRM.

4. Following receipt of a complete application, appropriate standard operating procedural documents and a satisfactory inspection, a veterinary clinic may be issued an annual permit to cover receipt of SRM from their entire client base.

5. Transportation of SRM to the veterinary clinic from their clients' premises can be handled in one of two ways:

• the producer can be issued a CFIA permit to transport SRM in an appropriate conveyance from their farm to the veterinary clinic; or
• the CFIA permit issued to the veterinary clinic may be extended to cover transportation between the clinic and the clients' premises if:
  • the veterinary clinic is willing to assume the liability for oversight of the transportation activities
  • the standard operating procedures for the clinic include appropriate procedures for clinic staff to instruct clients regarding all requirements to transport the SRM to the clinic including:
    • marking the carcass with a stripe of dye
    • placing the carcass in an appropriate conveyance (garbage bag or tarp)
    • marking the veterinary clinic's permit number on the conveyance
    • keeping the appropriate records of all transported carcasses

6. Transportation and disposal of SRM from the veterinary clinic can be handled in a variety of ways:

• under the authority of the same permit, a producer holding a CFIA permit to transport SRM from their farm to the veterinary clinic may transport the SRM back to their farm for on-site disposal as one of their own animal mortalities
• the CFIA permit issued to the veterinary clinic may be extended to cover transportation between the clinic and the clients' premises if:
  • the veterinary clinic is willing to assume the liability for the oversight of the transportation activities
  • the standard operating procedures for the clinic include appropriate procedures covering:
    • marking the carcass with a stripe of dye
    • placing the carcass in an appropriate conveyance (garbage bag or tarp) marked with the clinic's permit number; and
    • keeping the appropriate records of all transported carcasses
• an independent company holding a CFIA permit to transport SRM (such as a rendering company or deadstock dealer) can pick up the SRM from the clinic
• the SRM can be disposed of on site at the veterinary clinic

Pre-Inspection

1. The owner or operator of the veterinary clinic must submit a completed permit application form to the local CFIA district office and indicate if they wish to assume responsibility for transportation of the SRM as well as handling of SRM within the clinic.

2. Procedural documents must be submitted along with the application that detail:

• a site plan indicating where the SRM will be received, handled and then left for disposal pick up
• procedures that will be undertaken to prevent cross-contamination of SRM with other non-SRM, including whether post-mortem equipment for bovines will be dedicated or will be cleaned and disinfected between animals
• the cleaning and disinfection protocol for the part of the clinic where the SRM is handled, including the handling of gross debris from drain covers
• the disinfectant that will be used
• procedures that will be undertaken if there is accidental SRM cross-contamination
• how bovine carcasses subject to post-mortems will be closed for manipulation to site of loading for disposal
• the dye that will be applied to carcasses of bovines dying in clinic
• conveyances that will be used to transport carcass
• the anticipated method(s) of disposal e.g. sending carcasses back to farm of origin or pick up by rendering company; and
• record keeping

3. The CFIA district SRM inspector should conduct a site visit. When approved, the inspector should sign and date a copy of the written operating procedures provided by the premises. Changes to the procedures necessitate a review of the new procedures by the CFIA district inspector, and the owner or operator of the premises should be instructed in writing of the requirement to notify the CFIA of updates to their written procedures.

Site Inspection

1. Utilizing the documents provided by the owner or operator of the veterinary clinic that intends to receive SRM from their clients, plus or minus assume responsibility for transportation of SRM between their clients' premises and the clinic, the CFIA district inspector should verify that the various requirements to salvage and transport SRM meet or exceed the standards outlined below.

2. Separation: Post mortem, and sampling procedures as well as handling of carcasses on the clinic premises must not permit SRM contamination of the site or equipment that will be used on non-SRM. Equipment used to sample SRM tissues should be dedicated or appropriately cleaned and disinfected after each use. Disinfectants appropriate for the BSE agent are found in Appendix 2. Potential sources of contamination include the head of cattle older than 30 months (OTM) that are killed with a penetrating stunning device. The distal ileum of all cattle, regardless of their age, is designated as SRM.

3. Operating Procedures: If, during the post mortem procedures, accidental contamination of the site by SRM occurs, the site and all non-dedicated equipment used during the post-mortem must be cleaned (free of visible organic material greater than 4 mm), and disinfected (refer to Appendix 2) prior to reuse. Visible organic material contained in the cleaning effluent, greater than 4 mm, must be treated as SRM.

4. If the SRM is removed from UTM bovines, appropriate dying of tissues, placement in a labeled container and storage must be undertaken until scheduled pick-up occurs. The owner or operator of a veterinary clinic that stores SRM for pick-up must ensure that appropriate systematic measures are taken during the handling and storage of SRM to discourage access by birds, rodents, insects and other vermin.

5. If the veterinary clinic is assuming responsibility for transport of the SRM from the clinic to the client's premises for disposal, ready stores of dye for marking carcasses and conveyances marked with the clinic's permit number should be on site for transportation of a bovine dying in clinic.

6. The veterinary clinic owner or operator must keep records for a period of 10 years. A record must be kept for each day on which the SRM is removed, stained or received, or when the carcasses are collected or received.

Records must contain the following:

• the person's name and address and the date of the removal, staining, collection or reception
• the combined weight of the SRM and the carcasses or parts of carcasses collected or received, as well as the number of those carcasses
• the name of the dye used to identify the SRM or the carcasses
• the numbers of the approved tags, as defined in Section 172, that are on the carcasses or, in the case of carcasses not bearing approved tags, the information referred to in paragraph 187(2)(a) in respect of the carcasses
• if the person treated, confined or destroyed the SRM or the carcasses, the date and the manner in which the SRM or the carcasses were treated, confined or destroyed; and
• if the person did not confine or destroy the SRM or the carcasses:
  • the name and address of the person, if any, who received the SRM or carcasses
  • the name and address of the person, if any, who transferred the SRM or the carcasses to another location and the manner in which the SRM or the carcasses were transferred; and
  • the name and address, if known to the person, of the person, if any, who confined or destroyed the SRM or the carcasses

Inspector's Report

1. All observations regarding the application, associated documentation and physical inspection should be recorded on an Inspector's Report (CFIA/ACIA 1520).

2. In summary, the report should specifically identify areas of discrepancies between the salvage site applying for a permit and the requirements as listed in this manual (under "Pre-Inspection" and "Site Inspection" sections).

3. The applicant should address all deficiencies with a written corrective action plan, and verify for effectiveness with a follow-up on-site inspection prior to issuing a permit.

4. If inspections do not identify any areas of discrepancy or deficiency, the inspector should include a recommendation on the time period for which the permit should be valid. Permits will be issued annually for salvage sites that fulfil all requirements listed in this manual, provided that ongoing compliance monitoring is conducted. Ongoing compliance monitoring will be conducted via random inspections for verification of compliance with written standard operating procedures. CFIA district inspectors will conduct compliance monitoring at least quarterly.

5.A copy of the report, as well as a completed SRM permit checklist for salvage and/or transportation, should be forwarded to the CFIA program staff responsible for SRM disposal at the Area office. A copy of the application and the associated checklist(s) should be faxed or emailed to the national SRM permit clerk indicating that all requirements for permit issuance have been fulfilled. The national SRM permit clerk will issue the permit, forward an electronic copy to the relevant district and Area offices and mail the original to the permitee. The national SRM permit clerk will update the listing of SRM permit holders.

4.8 Alkaline Hydrolysis

Background

1. SRM is regulated from its point of origin (kill site) until it is destroyed or disposed. This includes the permitting and inspection of all handling, processing and destruction steps.

2. The CFIA Science Directorate performed a risk assessment on alkaline hydrolysis of SRM and determined that this method of destruction, using specific operating parameters, presents a negligible risk of transmission of BSE to domestic ruminants.

3. Based on the conclusion of this risk assessment, output products from approved alkaline hydrolysis units are not subject to further SRM regulatory controls. Depending on their form and intended use, output products remain subject to all other relevant federal legislation as well as all relevant provincial and municipal regulatory requirements.

4. CFIA-approved alkaline hydrolysis of SRM requires processing SRM at a temperature of 150°C and a pressure of at least 400 kPa in a hydroxide solution calculated on a mass per mass basis equal or greater than 9% of the SRM input material, which corresponds to 15 % sodium hydroxide (NaOH) or 19.3 % potassium hydroxide (KOH), for a period of not less than 180 minutes per cycle, in an enclosed pressure vessel that is suitable for the purpose required.

5. Note that the European Union standard operating conditions for alkaline hydrolysis processing of SRM have not been directly adopted in Canada.

The European Union (EU) standards specify the following:

• All solid or semi-solid material shall be ground, cut or reduced to a maximum dimension of 50 mm prior to charging into an approved alkaline hydrolysis vessel for TSE (SRM) destruction.
• The alkaline hydrolysis process is capable of destroying whole intact carcasses, negating any requirement for particle size reduction prior to charging into the process vessel. However, the time required to obtain the complete destruction of the SRM material will substantially increase, thus grinding or pre-processing by rendering prior to alkaline hydrolysis may still be desirable.

Pre-Inspection

1. The owner or operator of the site of the alkaline hydrolysis unit must submit a completed Application for permit to remove, use, convey, treat, store, sell, distribute, confine or destroy SRM (CFIA/ACIA 5405) under the Health of Animals Act to the local CFIA Animal Health Offices.

2. The district or Area office forwards this application and any associated documentation to the Area or National Specialist responsible for TSE disposal, who will subsequently forward the documents to the engineer contracted to assist in the inspection of the facility.

3. The applicant should include the following with the permit application:

1. all relevant municipal, federal and provincial licences and inspection permits/reports
2. diagram/description of property, equipment and facilities including buildings, storage capacity, yard improvements, road surfaces including distances from property boundaries/neighbours
3. a process overview describing the specific operating parameters:
   • volume of the alkaline hydrolysis vessel, proposed volume of SRM to be processed at any one time and proposed volume to be processed annually
   • nature/form of products to be processed by alkaline hydrolysis (e.g. whole carcasses, raw offal, ground carcasses or offal, paunch material, cracklings, meat-and-bone meal, etc.)
   • form/concentration and volume of alkali to be added
   • temperature and pressure for the alkaline hydrolysis process during the operating cycle
   • residence time anticipated to achieve complete organic destruction of the specified volumes of SRM product
   • steps, sequence of process and complete cycle description of the alkaline hydrolysis operation, and back-up procedures should the alkaline hydrolysis cycle be interrupted
   • copies of drawings, process and instrumentation diagrams, manufacturers' literature and schematics of the process, including as many of the above parameters as possible
4. monitoring and control information:
   • gauge types and locations; whether gauges are recording
   • maintenance and calibration schedules
   • log books, including computer read-outs, temperature charts, etc.
   • data from the indicated method for verifying appropriate amount of alkali (e.g. volume and pH)
   • temperature and pressure trend data of a typical SRM alkaline hydrolysis processing cycle, which can be verified by recording thermometer and pressure instruments
   • operating procedures
   • quality assurance checks
5. description of receiving, handling and storage including:
   • personnel required to operate the system for receiving SRM, cleaning of receiving area, the alkaline hydrolysis unit, and output products
   • procedures for receiving SRM and charging the alkaline hydrolysis vessel
   • storage available (for SRM and other feedstocks)
   • where applicable, measures to differentiate or segregate SRM from non-SRM raw product on site
   • equipment and facilities
   • cleaning procedures for SRM delivery vehicles and SRM handling equipment including washing equipment, drainage from washing site, removal of gross contaminates from the wash water and discharge of the liquid waste

The CFIA Area/national specialist or engineer contacts and informs the owner or operator of the alkaline hydrolysis unit about any omissions in the applicant's submitted documentation.

4. Upon receipt of a completed Application for permit to remove, use, convey, treat, store, sell, distribute, confine or destroy SRM (CFIA/ACIA 5405) with all appropriate accompanying documentation, the CFIA inspector contacts the owner or operator of the alkaline hydrolysis unit to schedule an inspection.

Site Inspection

Utilizing the document provided by the owner or operator of the alkaline hydrolysis unit and from the physical inspection, the CFIA inspector verifies that the various components of the alkaline hydrolysis process described below meet or exceed the standards outline.

The CFIA inspector verifies that:

• the premises where SRM is received and/or stored are accessible only by authorized, trained personnel
• barriers are in place to prevent access to SRM by domestic ruminants and scavengers, including birds and rodents
• SRM receiving and storage handling procedures are adequate to maintain containment of SRM and separation/identity of SRM prior to alkaline hydrolysis if required
• SRM receiving/storage sites and handling equipment are dedicated for SRM use or they are appropriately cleaned and disinfected prior to an alternative use
• effluent generated from washing activities (described in 4) is screened and all organic material larger than 4 mm is removed and handled as SRM
• a SRM receiving record is retained for a period of 10 years. A daily record is kept and includes the following:
  • the person's name and address and the time received
  • the transport permit number
  • the combined daily weight of the SRM received from each source; and
  • the name of the person recording this information
• operating and maintenance manuals are readily accessible to operating personnel who are present at the alkaline hydrolysis unit site

Alkaline Hydrolysis

The CFIA inspector will verify that:

1. the alkaline hydrolysis vessel room is maintained under negative pressure relative to the surrounding rooms and area or there is an equivalently effective method of containing any SRM particles volatized during the charging loading of the alkaline hydrolysis vessel
2. the vessel is verified sealed (charging and discharging doors/valves are closed) prior to the application of heat and alkaline solution circulation
3. the mass of SRM being added to the alkaline hydrolysis vessel each cycle, the mass of alkali being added to the alkaline hydrolysis vessel during each cycle and that the alkali being added represents generated a hydroxide solution that is equal to at least 9% of the mass of the SRM in the vessel at that time
4. there is a method of monitoring that the appropriate amount of alkali is being added to generate a hydroxide solution equivalent to at least 9% mass/mass volume of SRM being input
5. the processing cycle maintains the specified temperature of at least 150°C at a pressure of at least 400 kPa for a minimum of 180 minutes
6. sensors properly positioned in the vessel are present to provide a continuous representative measure of the internal conditions to record and produce temperature and pressure versus time profile charts
7. the temperature gauges are calibrated at least once every 12 months or every 2,000 operating hours, whichever occurs first, following the manufacturer's instructions and recommendations for calibration, maintenance and repair
8. the integral physical components of the alkaline hydrolysis system including hatches, valves, piping, tanks, pumps, exhaust components, charging equipment, monitoring equipment and the containment building floors, walls, doors and ceilings, etc. are maintained in operating order; and
9. appropriate log book / records are kept of the SRM loading rate in weight as well as all other charging components per cycle, date, time, vessel pressure, internal temperature, duration of each cycle and the name and signature of the operator monitoring the process

Inspector's Report

1. All observations regarding the application, associated documentation and physical inspection should be recorded on an Inspector's Report (CFIA/ACIA 1520).

2. In summary, the report should specifically identify areas of discrepancy between the site of the alkaline hydrolysis unit applying for a permit and the requirements as listed in this manual (under "Pre-Inspection" and "Site Inspection" sections).

3. The applicant should address all deficiencies by writing a corrective action plan, which will be verified for effectiveness by a follow-up on-site inspection prior to issuing a permit.

4. If inspections do not identify any areas of discrepancy or deficiency, the inspector should in final summary recommend the period of time the permit should be valid. Permits will be issued annually for alkaline hydrolysis units that fulfill all requirements listed in this manual, provided ongoing compliance monitoring is conducted. Ongoing compliance monitoring takes place via random inspections that verify compliance with written standard operating procedures. CFIA inspectors will conduct compliance monitoring at least once while the permit is valid.

5. The inspector forwards a copy of the report to the CFIA Area program specialist for permit issuance. A copy of the application and the associated checklist(s) should be faxed or emailed to the national SRM permit clerk indicating that all requirements for permit issuance have been fulfilled. The national SRM permit clerk will issue the permit, forward an electronic copy to the relevant district and Area offices and mail the original to the permitee. The national SRM permit clerk will update the listing of SRM permit holders.

4.9 Thermal Hydrolysis

Background

1. SRM is regulated from its point of origin (kill site) until it is destroyed or disposed. This includes the permitting and inspection of all handling, processing and destruction steps.

2. The CFIA Science Directorate performed a risk assessment on thermal hydrolysis of SRM and determined that, using specific operating parameters, the resulting material discharged at the end of this process presents a negligible risk of transmission of BSE to domestic ruminants. Therefore, thermal hydrolysis is an acceptable method of permanent destruction of abnormal prions that may be present in SRM and is approved by the CFIA as a destruction method.

3. Based on the conclusion of this risk assessment, output products from approved thermal hydrolysis installations are not subject to further SRM regulatory controls. Depending on their form and intended use, output products remain subject to all other relevant federal legislation as well as all relevant provincial and municipal regulatory requirements.

4. CFIA-approved thermal hydrolysis of SRM requires operation at 180°C and 1200 kPa for a period of not less than 40 minutes per cycle in an enclosed pressure vessel that is suitable for the purpose required.

5. Note that the EU standard operating conditions for thermal hydrolysis processing of SRM have not been directly adopted in Canada.

The EU standards specify the following:

• all solid or semi-solid material shall be ground, cut or reduced to a maximum dimension of 50 mm prior to charging into an approved thermal hydrolysis vessel for TSE (SRM) destruction
• the thermal hydrolysis process is capable of destroying whole intact carcasses, negating any requirement for particle size reduction prior to charging into the process vessel. In the course of the processing cycle, the material is rapidly ground to a small particle size, thus achieving the same effect as particle size reduction

Pre-Inspection

1. The owner or operator of the site of the alkaline hydrolysis unit must submit a completed Application for permit to remove, use, convey, treat, store, sell, distribute, confine or destroy SRM (CFIA/ACIA 5405) under the Health of Animals Act to the local CFIA Animal Health Offices.

2. The district or Area office forwards this application and any associated documentation to the Area or national specialist responsible for TSE disposal, who will subsequently forward the documents to the engineer contracted to assist in the inspection of the facility.

3. The applicant should include the following with the permit application:

1. all relevant municipal, federal and provincial licences and inspection permits/reports
2. diagram/description of property, equipment and facilities including buildings, storage capacity, yard improvements, road surfaces including distances from property boundaries/neighbours
3. a process overview describing the specific operating parameters:
   • volume of the thermal hydrolysis vessel, proposed volume of SRM to be processed at any one time and proposed volume to be processed annually
   • nature/form of products to be processed by alkaline hydrolysis (e.g. whole carcasses, raw offal, ground carcasses or offal, paunch material, cracklings, meat-and-bone meal, etc.)
   • temperature and pressure for the thermal hydrolysis process during the operating cycle
   • residence time anticipated for the specified volumes of SRM product
   • method and location of measurement of temperature, pressure and time, manner in which this information is continuously recorded
   • steps, sequence of process and complete cycle description of the thermal hydrolysis operation, and back-up procedures should the thermal hydrolysis cycle be interrupted
   • copies of drawings, process and instrumentation diagrams, manufacturers' literature and schematics of the process, including as many of the above parameters as possible
4. monitoring and control information:
   • gauge types and locations; whether gauges are recording
   • maintenance and calibration schedules
   • log books, including computer read-outs, temperature charts, etc.
   • temperature and pressure trend data of a typical SRM thermal hydrolysis processing cycle, which can be verified by recording thermometer and pressure instruments
   • operating procedures
   • quality assurance checks
5. description of receiving, handling and storage including:
   • personnel required to operate the system for receiving SRM, cleaning of receiving area, the thermal hydrolysis unit, and output products (how they are kept separate from SRM on receiving end)
   • procedures for receiving SRM and charging the thermal hydrolysis vessel
   • storage available (for SRM and other feedstocks)
   • where applicable, measures to differentiate or segregate SRM from non-SRM raw products on site
   • equipment and facilities
   • cleaning procedures for SRM delivery vehicles and SRM handling equipment including washing equipment, drainage from washing site, removal of gross contaminates from the wash water and discharge of the liquid waste

The CFIA Area/national specialist or engineer contacts and informs the owner or operator of the thermal hydrolysis unit about any omissions in the applicant's submitted documentation.

4. Upon receipt of a completed Application for permit to remove, use, convey, treat, store, sell, distribute, confine or destroy SRM (CFIA/ACIA 5405) with all appropriate accompanying documentation, the CFIA inspector contacts the owner or operator of the thermal hydrolysis unit to schedule an inspection.

Site Inspection

Utilizing the document provided by the owner or operator of the alkaline hydrolysis unit and from the physical inspection, the CFIA inspector verifies that the various components of the alkaline hydrolysis process described below meet or exceed the standards outline.

The CFIA inspector verifies that:

• the premises where SRM is received and/or stored are accessible only by authorized, trained personnel
• barriers are in place to prevent access to SRM by domestic ruminants and scavengers, including birds and rodents
• SRM receiving and storage handling procedures are adequate to maintain containment of SRM and separation/identity of SRM prior to thermal hydrolysis if required
• SRM receiving/storage sites and handling equipment are dedicated for SRM use or they are appropriately cleaned and disinfected prior to an alternative use
• effluent generated from washing activities (described in 4) is screened and all organic material larger than 4 mm is removed and handled as SRM
• an SRM receiving record is retained for a period of 10 years. A daily record is kept and includes the following:
  • the person's name and address and the time received
  • the transport permit number
  • the combined daily weight of the SRM received from each source
  • the name of the person who records this information
• operating and maintenance manuals are readily accessible to operating personnel who are present at the thermal hydrolysis unit site

Thermal Hydrolysis

The CFIA inspector will verify that:

1. The thermal hydrolysis vessel room is maintained under negative pressure relative to the surrounding rooms and area, or there is an equivalently effective method of containing any SRM particles that have volatized during the charging/loading of the thermal hydrolysis vessel.

2. The thermal hydrolysis vessel is essentially empty of all material prior to SRM being charged into the vessel at the start of an operating cycle. SRM may be charged as whole intact carcasses and need not be pre-ground.

3. The integral physical components of the thermal hydrolysis system including hatches, valves, piping, tanks, pumps, exhaust components, charging equipment, monitoring equipment and the containment building floors, walls, doors, ceilings, etc. are maintained in operating order and in a satisfactory sanitary condition.

4. The vessel is verified sealed (charging and discharging doors/valves are closed) prior to the application of heat, pressure and agitator operation.

5. The processing cycle maintains the specified temperature of at least 180°C for 40 minutes or more at a pressure of at least 1200 kPa.

6. Sensors properly positioned in the vessel are present to provide a continuous representative measure of the internal conditions to record and produce temperature and pressure versus time profile charts of the thermal hydrolysis vessel interior conditions during operation. The process cycle is operated by a programmable logic controller (PLC), or equivalent, to automatically sequence the process steps and eliminate manual manipulation of the process cycle under normal operating conditions.

7. A log book and record is kept of the SRM loading rate in weight charged per cycle, date, times involved, vessel pressure, internal temperature, duration of each cycle and the name and signature of the operator monitoring the process.

8. The temperature gauges must be calibrated at least once every 12 months or 2 000 operating hours, whichever occurs first, following the manufacturer's instructions and recommendations for calibration, maintenance and repair.

9. All non-condensable gases generated during the process are treated through two or more high efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filters each of which is capable of handling the full gas stream produced. The operation of HEPA filters is verified with gauges. Each HEPA filter is capable of being sterilized in place.

Inspector's Report

1. Refer to the associated Checklist for SRM Permit—Thermal Hydrolysis.

2. All observations regarding the application, associated documentation and physical inspection should be recorded on an Inspector's Report (CFIA/ACIA 1520).

3. In summary, the report should specifically identify areas of discrepancy between the site of the thermal hydrolysis unit applying for a permit and the requirements, as listed in this manual (under "Pre-Inspection" and "Site Inspection" sections).

4. The applicant should address all deficiencies by writing a corrective action plan, which will be verified for effectiveness by a follow-up on-site inspection prior to issuing a permit.

5. If inspections do not identify any areas of discrepancy or deficiency, the inspector should, in the final summary, recommend the period of time the permit should be valid. Permits will be issued annually for thermal hydrolysis units that fulfill all requirements listed in this manual, provided ongoing compliance monitoring is conducted. Ongoing compliance monitoring takes place via random inspections which verify compliance with written standard operating procedures. CFIA inspectors are to conduct quarterly compliance monitoring while a permit is valid.

6. The inspector forwards a copy of the report to the CFIA Area program specialist for permit issuance. A copy of the application and the associated checklist(s) should be faxed or emailed to the national SRM permit clerk indicating that all requirements for permit issuance have been fulfilled. The national SRM permit clerk will issue the permit, forward an electronic copy to the relevant district and Area offices and mail the original to the permitee. The national SRM permit clerk will update the listing of SRM permit holders.

4.10 SRM Permit Checklists

4.10.1 Checklist for SRM Permit - Landfill

• Name:
• Address:
• Telephone:
• Facsimile:
• Contact Person:
• CFIA District Office:
• Application receiving date: yyyy/mm/dd
• Inspection date: yyyy/mm/dd

No	Description	Acceptable	Inacceptable	N/A	Comments
1.	Documentation submitted with the permit application:
	Municipal licence
	Provincial licence
	Previous inspection reports
	Detailed site plans
	Normal operating procedures
	Applicable quality assurance programs
2.	Site inspection:
A.	Separation:
	Prevent direct exposure of domestic ruminants				Type of barriers:
	Prevent direct exposure of wild ruminants				Type of barriers:
B.	Signage:
	Legible and readable
	Installed at all access points to the site
	Include hours of operation, telephone numbers for emergency contact and the types of fill accepted
C.	Operation:
	Trained personnel present on receipt of specified risk material (SRM)
	Operating and maintenance manuals readily accessible to operating personnel
	Unauthorized access prevented at all time				Measures taken:
D.	Liner:
	Type of Liner				Material:
	Type of the leachate containment system				Material:
	Conductivity ( x 10-7 cm/s)
	Controlling slopes ( 2%)
	Remaining slopes ( 0.5%)
E.	Landfill cap:
	Type of landfill cap (soil, geomembrane, ...)				Material:
	Thickness of the cap ( 60 cm if soil used alone)
	Saturated hydraulic conductivity ( 1 x 10-7 cm/s)
F.	Drainage layer:
	Thickness, type and material of the drainage layer
G.	Groundwater protection:
	Elevation ( 500 mm below the lowest point of the liner)
	Drainage of the groundwater away from the landfill area
H.	Surface water management system:
	Diversion of the surface and storm water from disposal area
	Control of the run-off discharge from landfill
	Control of the erosion, sedimentation and flooding
	Hydraulic separation from the leachate management system
I.	Leachate control system:
	Operating duration (year round)
	Monitoring flow device
	Storage capacity
	Accessibility for inspection and monitoring
J.	Cover material:
	Availability above the working face
	Application moment after SRM unloading (immediately)
K.	Equipment:
	Designation of equipment dedicated for SRM handling
	Cleaning of equipment not dedicated for SRM handling prior to alternate use
	Cleanliness, prior to exiting the site, of the external surface of the vehicle that comes into contact with SRM
L.	Report to the CFIA:
	All integrity breeches that occur on-site are reported to the CFIA
M.	Records:
	Monitoring logs and disposal records are located on site
	Records are kept for each operating day and conserved for a period of 10 years
	Records include:
	- name and address of the person moving SRM to landfill site
	- date of the reception
	- combined weight of SRM and carcasses
	- number of carcasses
	- number of the approved tags
	- information referred in 187(2)(a) in case of carcasses not bearing approved tags
	- date of the landfill

4.10.2 Checklist for SRM Permit - Mass Composting

• Name:
• Address:
• Telephone:
• Facsimile:
• Contact Person:
• CFIA District Office:
• Application receiving date: yyyy/mm/dd
• Inspection date: yyyy/mm/dd

     

No	Description	N/A	Compliant	Non-Compliant Minor	Non-Compliant Serious	Non-Compliant Very serious	Comments
1.	Documentation submitted with the permit application:
	Municipal licence
	Provincial licence
	Previous inspection reports
	Detailed site plans
	Normal operating procedures
	Applicable quality assurance programs
	Documentation pertaining to final destination of composted SRM
2.	Site inspection:
A	Signage:
	Legible and readable
	Installed at access points to the site
	Includes hours of operation, telephone numbers for emergency contact
B	Receiving and tipping area:
	Prevention from direct exposure of ruminants
	Base material (impermeable or compacted)						Material:
	Prevention of water pooling
	Control of run-off discharge
	Unauthorized personnel access control
C	Composting area:
	Type of impermeable base						Material:
	Run-off collection system
	Adequate site drainage
	Composting substrates						Material:
	Adequate substrate on site
	Adequate coverage of specified risk materials (SRMs) by substrate
D	Operation:
	Have trained personnel present upon receipt of SRM
	Make operating and maintenance manuals readily accessible to operating personnel
	Provide access control for unauthorized personnel
	Discourage access to birds, rodents, insects and vermin
E	Groundwater protection:
	Re-incorporate leachate into compost
	Drain groundwater away from the composting site
F	Surface water management system:
	Divert the surface and storm water from composting area
	Control erosion and flooding
G	Cleaning and equipment:
	Designate a clean-out area
	Ensure there is an available water source
	Have designated SRM handling equipment
	Clean non-SRM equipment prior to alternate use
	Clean, prior to exiting the site, the external surface of the vehicle that comes into contact with SRM
H	Report to the CFIA:
	All integrity breeches that occur on-site
I	Records:
	Monitoring composting logs are located on-site
	Records are kept for each operating day and conserved for a period of 10 years
	Records include:
	- name and address of the person moving SRM to compost site
	- date of the reception
	- combined weight of SRM and carcasses
	- permit number of the conveyance
3.	Final destination of SRM - site inspection
	Land location of SRM compost - final destination						Location:
	Intended use of land where SRM compost is to be spread						Use:
	Adequate separation of composted SRM from ruminants
	Natural or artificial barriers between composted SRM and ruminants						Type of barrier:
	Trained personnel at location of final destination of SRM compost

Next Steps:

• Follow-up required in days.
• Schedule regular compliance inspection
• Permit renewal

Comments:

 

4.10.3 Checklist for SRM Permit - Salvage

• Name:
• Address:
• Telephone:
• Facsimile:
• Contact Person:
• CFIA District Office:
• Application receiving date:
• Application receiving date: yyyy/mm/dd
• Inspection date: yyyy/mm/dd

No	Description	N/A	Compliant	Non-Compliant Minor	Non-Compliant Serious	Non-Compliant Very serious	Comments
1.	Documentation submitted with the permit application:
	Municipal licences
	Provincial licences
	Written description of the non-specified risk material (SRM) bovine tissues that will be salvaged
	Intended use of non-SRM bovine tissues
	Location - salvage of non-SRM bovine tissues will occur
	Normal operating procedures
	Applicable quality assurance programs
	Site plan
	Disposal permit or applicable disposal permit number for the non-salvaged parts of bovine carcasses containing SRM
2.	Site inspection:
A	Separation:
	Prevent contamination of non-SRM tissues with SRM
	Remove salvaged non-SRM, and separate physical from remaining parts of bovine carcass
	Remove distal ileum, and dispose as SRM:
	- dispose as SRM the entire small intestine or-
	- identify and dispose as SRM the distal ileum (ileocecal junction and at least 200 cm of small intestine)
	Collect in dedicated containers the remaining parts of bovine carcass contain SRM
B	Operating procedures:
	All non-SRM bovine tissues contaminated during the salvage process considered as SRM
	Identification procedures for older than 30 month and under 30 month carcasses and/or deadstock. Age verification by:
	- registered breed associations
	- Canadian Cattle Identification Agency
	- Agri-Traçabilité Québec
	- Dentition
C	Equipment and cleaning:
	Clean all equipment contaminated with SRM:
	- ensure salvage site and equipment is free of visible organic matter
	- disinfect salvage site and contaminated equipment
	- treat as SRM visible organic matter in cleaning effluent
	- ensure that cleaning procedures prevent contamination of non-SRM tissues with SRM
D	Site control:
	Discourage access to birds, rodents, insects and vermin
E	Records:
	Records are kept for each day SRM are removed, stained or received; record retention of 10 years. Records include:
	- name and address of the person handling SRM
	date
	- combined weight of SRM
	- number of carcasses or parts thereof
	- name of dye
	- numbers of approved tags or information referred to in 187(2)(a)
	- name and address of the person who transports SRM and confines or destroys SRM

Next Steps:

• Follow-up required in days.
• Schedule regular compliance inspection
• Permit renewal

Comments:

 

4.10.4 Checklist for SRM Permit - Harvest

• Name:
• Address:
• Telephone:
• Facsimile:
• Contact Person:
• CFIA District Office:
• Application receiving date:
• Application receiving date: yyyy/mm/dd
• Inspection date: yyyy/mm/dd

No	Description	N/A	Compliant	Non-Compliant Minor	Non-Compliant Serious	Non-Compliant Very serious	Comments
1.	Documentation submitted with the permit application:
	Municipal licence
	Provincial licence
	Federal registration
	Written description of what and how meat for human consumption will be harvested from bovine carcass(es) containing specified risk material (SRM)
	Transportation permit or applicable permit number:
	- cattle carcasses containing SRM
	- remaining parts of bovine carcass containing SRM
	Plan for disposal of the remaining SRM
	Normal operating procedures
	Applicable quality assurance programs
	Site plan
	Disposal permit or applicable disposal permit number for remaining parts of the bovine carcass containing SRM
2.	Site inspection:
A	Separation:
	Ensure that federally registered and federally inspected facilities are compliant with Annex N
	Prevent contamination of edible meat with SRM
	Remove edible meat, and physically separate from remaining bovine carcass (containing SRM)
	Remove distal ileum, and dispose as SRM:
	- dispose as SRM the entire small intestine or
	- identify and dispose as SRM the distal ileum (ileocecal junction and at least 200 cm of small intestine); dispose remaining small intestine as inedible
	Remaining parts of bovine carcass containing SRM collected in dedicated containers
B	Operating procedures:
	All non-SRM bovine tissues contaminated during the harvest process considered as SRM
	Identification procedures for older than 30 month and under 30 month carcasses. Age verification by:
	- registered breed associations
	- Canadian Cattle Identification Agency
	- Agri-Traçabilité Québec
	- dentition
C	Equipment and cleaning:
	All equipment cleaned:
	- make sure that equipment is free of visible organic matter
	- sanitize contaminated equipment
	- ensure that cleaning procedures at site prevent SRM contaminating non-SRM tissues
	- treat as SRM visible organic matter in cleaning effluent
D	Records:
	Records are kept for each day SRM are removed, stained or received; record retention of 10 years. Records include:
	- name and address of the person handling SRM
	date
	- combined weight of SRM
	- number of carcasses or parts thereof
	- name of dye
	- numbers of approved tags or information referred to in 187(2)(a)
	- name and address of the person who transports SRM and who confines or destroys SRM

Next Steps:

• Follow-up required in days.
• Schedule regular compliance inspection
• Permit renewal

Comments:

 

4.10.5 Checklist for SRM Permit - Transportation

• Name:
• Address:
• Telephone:
• Facsimile:
• Contact Person:
• CFIA District Office:
• Application receiving date: yyyy/mm/dd
• Inspection date: yyyy/mm/dd

No	Description	N/A	Compliant	Non-Compliant Minor	Non-Compliant Serious	Non-Compliant Very serious	Comments
1.	Documentation submitted with the permit application:
	Municipal inspection requirements
	Provincial inspection requirements
	Permitted conveyance identified
	Applicable provincial agricultural, environmental and/or public health permits pertaining to the transportation of deadstock or slaughter waste
	Normal operating procedures
	Applicable quality assurance programs
	Location of premises the specified risk material (SRM) is transported from
	Name of transporter
	Intended use of SRM
	Destination of transported SRM
	Disposal permit or applicable disposal permit number for transported SRM
2.	Site inspection:
A	Identification:
	Adequate staining of SRM:
	- dye is conspicuous
	- dye is indelible
	- dye is safe for consumption by animals
	Applicable licence number of transportation conveyance
	Conveyance labelled indicating contents are "SRM":
	- conveyance labelled in both official languages
B	Conveyance:
	Conveyance dedicated to handle SRM
	Adequate segregation and containment of non-dedicated conveyance
C	Equipment and cleaning:
	Ensure that equipment is dedicated to handle SRM
	Clean non-dedicated conveyances and equipment:
	- pressure wash equipment and/or conveyance
	- ensure that equipment and/or conveyance is visibly clean of organic matter
	- disinfect non-dedicated equipment used for rendering
	- clean equipment and/or conveyance at receiving site
	- conduct cleaning procedures at disposal receiving site
	- treat as SRM any visible organic matter in cleaning effluent
D	Site control:
	Discourage access to birds, rodents, insects and vermin
E	Records:
	Records are kept for each day SRM are removed, stained or received; record retention of 10 years. Records include:
	- name and address of the person handling SRM
	- date
	- combined weight of SRM
	- number of carcasses or parts thereof
	- name of dye
	- numbers of approved tags or information referred to in 187(2)(a)
	- name and address of the person who transports SRM and who confines or destroys SRM

Next Steps:

• Follow-up required in days.
• Schedule regular compliance inspection
• Permit renewal

Comments:

 

4.10.6 Checklist for SRM Permit - Incineration

• Name:
• Address:
• Telephone:
• Facsimile:
• Contact Person:
• CFIA District Office:
• Application receiving date: yyyy/mm/dd
• Inspection date: yyyy/mm/dd

No	Description	N/A	Compliant	Non-Compliant Minor	Non-Compliant Serious	Non-Compliant Very serious	Comments
1.	Documentation submitted with the permit application:
	Municipal Licence
	Provincial Licence
	Previous inspection reports
	Detailed site plans
	Normal operating procedures
	Applicable quality assurance programs
2.	Site inspection:
A	Handling and Storage:
	SRM received is segregated from non-SRM product
	Designation of equipment dedicated for SRM handling
	Cleaning of equipment not dedicated for SRM handling prior to alternate use
B	Operation:
	Trained personnel present when SRM is received
	Operating and maintenance manuals readily accessible to operating personnel
C	Incineration:
	Primary chamber heated to at least 850°C before SRM is added
	SRM remain in the primary chamber for a residence time of at least 15 minutes
	The temperature sensor of the primary changer is adequately located
	Records are kept of SRM loading temperature, residence time, and the operator monitoring the process
	The temperature gauges are calibrated at least once every 6 weeks.
D	Records:
	Records are kept for each operating day and conserved for a period of 10 years
	Records include the following:
	- name and address of the person moving SRM to incinerator
	- date of the reception
	- combined weight of SRM and carcasses
	- permit number of the conveyance

Next Steps:

• Follow-up required in days.
• Schedule regular compliance inspection
• Permit renewal

Comments:

 

Next Page: Module 5 / Previous Page: Module 3