Roadkill Reclamation

When was the last time you really thought about roadkill? We may feel a vague sense of guilt about these four-legged highway casualties, but what dimly registers to most of us as a greasy, furry lump in the road is a real headache for state transportation officials. They are tasked with collecting and disposing of this flattened fauna, which can quickly pile up.

The Virginia Department of Transportation is considering a plan to compost its roadkill, which would cut the costs associated with transporting the carcasses up to 40 miles to a landfill and the environmental hazards of roadside burials, the state’s two current methods of dealing with the material. VDOT hopes to establish small composting areas at its facilities or even along the side of the road, emulating states like New York and Ohio that already do the same. But there are financial and logistical hurdles that must be overcome.

An alternate plan to repurpose the roadkill (known to some adherents as “flat meat”) for department potlucks was roundly rejected.

Source: Associated Press