SWINE PRODUCTION SYSTEMS IN NORTH CAROLINA RELY ON ANAEROBIC LAGOONS FOR MANURE TREATMENT ANDSTORAGE. OVER TIME, LAGOON SOLIDS (SLUDGE)ACCUMULATION EXCEEDS DESIGN CRITERIA WHICH REDUCES THE LAGOONFUNCTION, INCREASES MALODOROUS EMISSIONS, AND REDUCES THE LAGOON STORAGE CAPACITY TO WITHSTANDEXTREME STORM EVENTS. TRADITIONAL SLUDGE REMOVAL AND UTILIZATION APPROACHES ARE BOTHECONOMICALLY PROHIBITIVE TO SMALL AND MEDIUM-SIZE SWINE OPERATIONS AND ENVIRONMENTALLYCHALLENGING DUE TO THE LIMITED AGRICULTURAL LAND AND THE ELEVATED PHOSPHORUS AND HEAVY METALCONTENT IN SLUDGE. MOST OF N.C. SWINE LAGOONS ARE OVER 20 YEARS OLD WITH SLUDGE BUILDUP THATREQUIRES REMOVAL AND UTILIZATION. THERE IS A CRITICAL NEED FOR SLUDGE REMOVAL, PROCESSING ANDUTILIZATION APPROACHES THAT ARE SUSTAINABLE ENVIRONMENTALLY AND ECONOMICALLY.THE PROPOSED PROJECT WILL ADDRESS THE CURRENT SLUDGE-RELATED CHALLENGE THROUGH (1) CHARACTERIZINGANAEROBIC SWINE LAGOON SLUDGE COMPOSITION AND PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS, (2) EVALUATING FARM-SCALESLUDGE REMOVAL TECHNIQUES AND ASSESSING HOW THE REMOVAL TECHNIQUE CHANGES SLUDGECHARACTERISTICS, (3) ASSESSING THE PERFORMANCE OF THERMAL GASIFICATION AND COMPOSTING ASCONVERSION TECHNOLOGY OPTIONS FOR SLUDGE AND SLUDGE-BIOMASS BLENDS, (4) CHARACTERIZINGCOMPOSTED AND GASIFIED SLUDGE PRODUCTS AS AGRONOMIC AND SOIL ADDITIVES, (5) COMPARING ECONOMICAND ENVIRONMENTAL PERFORMANCE OF SLUDGE REMOVAL AND CONVERSION AND UTILIZATION STRATEGIES, AND(6) DEVELOPING EXTENSION AND OUTREACH PROGRAMMING THAT INTEGRATES THE DATA, RESULTS AND FINDINGSINTO RECOMMENDATIONS AND RESOURCES TO SUPPORT SUSTAINABLE SLUDGE MANAGEMENT.