The kansas department of agriculture will determine the feasibility of shallow burial with carbon (SBC) in different carcass decomposition processes

The Kansas Department of Agriculture received a $140,726 Cooperative Agreement from the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) under the Plant and Animal Disease, Pest Control, and Animal Care program (CFDA 10.025), awarded October 13, 2025, with a completion date of October 12, 2027. The award funds a feasibility study on Shallow Burial with Carbon (SBC), an innovative carcass disposal method designed to address challenges associated with large-scale animal disease outbreaks. The department will identify key partners, establish test sites, develop training protocols, and monitor decomposition processes across different conditions to validate the effectiveness of this disposal approach.

The project will deliver comprehensive educational and informational resources to support adoption of SBC methods among stakeholders and policymakers. Deliverables include the establishment and monitoring of demonstration sites, training of emergency responders on SBC implementation, development of a training video for extension agents and industry partners, and presentation of findings at regional and national emergency management workshops. These outputs are intended to provide farmers, ranchers, state and federal regulatory officials with practical carcass disposal solutions for routine mortalities and foreign animal disease (FAD) outbreak scenarios, directly supporting livestock producers and informing future policy decisions on emergency disease response procedures.

SBC is a new, innovative approach to handle carcass disposal challenges in large-scale animal disease outbreak. The project will identify key partners and determine locations, resources, and communications needed to set up test sites, train responders on SBC methods, set up and monitor sites, and evaluate the outcomes. Findings will be presented at regional and national emergency management workshops. A training video will be developed for extension agents, industry partners, and livestock producers to educate them on using SBC for routine mortalities and largescale disposal during a foreign animal disease (FAD) outbreak. This project provides valuable carcass disposal options and information for farmers and ranchers and will also help state and federal regulatory officials make decisions on policies and procedures to help livestock producers during FAD outbreaks. This project will directly benefit farmers and ranchers by providing new solutions for managing carcass disposal challenges during animal disease outbreaks.