Hiiumaa animal waste to be transported to mainland for disposal in future
The animal waste burial site on the island of Hiiumaa, which attracted public attention last week due to the improper burial of animal carcasses, is to be closed on June 1. Animal waste generated on the island will now be transported to Väike-Maarja, Lääne-Viru County for disposal. The change may however, lead to new problems for Hiiumaa's farmers.
Last week, ETV show "Aktuaalne kaamera" reported that a number of animal carcasses, which had been brought to a dedicated disposal site on the island of Hiiumaa had not been properly buried. The exposed remains sparked a series of complaints from locals.
On Monday, Tarmo Terav, head of waste management company Vireen, told ERR, that it will no longer be possible to continue burying animal carcasses on Hiiumaa. Starting in June, animal waste produced on the island will therefore be sent to Väike-Maarja in Lääne-Viru County for disposal instead.
According to Terav, transporting carcasses to the mainland would not lead to additional costs for Hiiumaa's farmers or livestock owners. "After all, the price is fixed in the price list and we cannot change it," he said.
However, Anu Pielberg, a member of the board of transportation company Hiiu Autotrans, which is a subcontractor of Vireen Hiiumaa, said, that although farm animal owners will not lose money under the new waste management system, things will become more expensive for businesses that generate slaughterhouse waste or fish waste.
"Slaughterhouses and the fish industry will have to cover 100 percent of all costs, including transportation, as they are not subsidized by the state," said Pielberg.
Another disadvantage of waste diversion, Pielberg added, is that farmers and livestock farmers can no longer dispose of their animal waste whenever they need to, but only at those times when transport comes to collect it from the island.
According to Tarvo Nõmm, who is a member of It remains too early to say how much exactly the new waste disposal processes will end up costing, according to Tarvo Nõmm, who is a member of meat company Hiiumaa Lihatööstus. "There will probably be some price increases for us, but we don't know by how much exactly," Nõmm said.
Transportation of animal waste from Hiiumaa to the Väike-Maarja waste treatment plant will start on June 7. Under the initial plans, a truck will drive to Hiiumaa once a week, on Wednesdays, to collect the waste from the island.
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Editor: Michael Cole
