US Mortality and Butcher Waste Disposal Laws

Regulations and laws concerning the disposal of dead animals, whether it be from normal mortality, disease outbreak or natural disaster vary. Some of these laws date back to 1963 when burial within 24 hours of death, at least 3 feet underground, and with a layer of quicklime to disinfect was the only option. These laws are not always based on scientific information regarding environmental and public health and safety. Since then, although other options are available, such as composting, digestion and alkaline hydrolysis, regulatory agencies have not necessarily embraced them. In addition, in many cases, more than one department within the State government is responsible for oversight of these laws and they are not necessarily coordinated.

Click on the image below to download a word file that details these laws by State. A searchable excel file is also available.

Please contact the specific state governing agency for more information. Every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of this resource. However, this information is not exhaustive and is subject to change over time. Updated 2017.

Funded in part by NESARE