Introduction
As a part of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Concentrated Animal Feeding Operation (CAFO) Final Rule, CAFO owners may be required to apply for a National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit. Part of the process includes developing and implementing a Nutrient Management Plan (NMP). At a minimum, a NMP must include Best Management Practices (BMPs).
CNMP vs. NMP
The comprehensive nutrient management plan (CNMP) is a USDA-defined plan that minimizes nutrient excretion, ensures proper storage of manure and manure-contaminated water, specifies the application of manure nutrients at agronomic rates, and requires the maintaining of appropriate records. The NMP required for an NPDES permit is designed to be a subset of activities in a CNMP that relate to compliance with the effluent discharge limitations and other requirements of the NPDES permit.
Phosphorus-Based NMP
CAFOs must evaluate the potential for both nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) loss on every field receiving manure, litter, or process wastewaters. Manure applications may be limited or eliminated on fields that have a high potential for P loss.
Time Line for Compliance
Owners of livestock and poultry operations with an NPDES permit must implement the NMP as specified by the state regulating agency but no later than December 31, 2006. Owners of CAFOs that are new sources as well as CAFO owners seeking a permit after that date must have an NMP developed and implemented on the date of permit coverage. Producers should check their permit for the required implementation date.
Disclaimer
This document has been reviewed by EPA and provides a general des- cription of the federal concentrated animal feeding operations regulations (40 CFR Parts 9, 122, 123, 412). For more detailed information, refer to the regulations or contact EPA. Also, your state may have additional, more strin- gent requirements than EPA’s. Contact your permitting authority for complete information on the regulations that apply to you.
Copyright © 2003. MidWest Plan Service, Iowa State University, Ames, Iowa 50011-3080.
Copyright Permission
For copyright permission, call Mid- West Plan Service (MWPS) at 515- 294-4337. Organizations may re- produce this fact sheet for non- commercial use, provided they acknowledge MWPS as the copy- right owner and include the following required credit statement:
Reprinted from Livestock and Poultry Environmental Stewardship curriculum, fact sheet authored by Ron Sheffield, University of Idaho, and Julie Paschold, University of Nebraska, courtesy of MidWest Plan Service, Iowa State University, Ames, Iowa, 50011-3080 and your land-grant universities, Copyright © 2003.
Producer Checklist: NMP
Producers can use the checklist below to identify mandatory issues that an NMP must address. Unchecked items represent issues that may need additional attention. In preparing an NMP, it is critical that the following planning, management, and documentation procedures are in place for all CAFOs.
Facility Design and Management
____ Develop and implement an NMP.
____ Ensure that the production area is designed, maintained, and operated to contain all of the manure, litter, and process wastewater including storm water plus runoff from the 25-year (or 100-year for new swine, poultry, or veal operations), 24-hour rainfall event.
____ Dispose of animal mortalities to prevent discharge of pollutants to surface water and cannot be managed in the liquid manure or process wastewater collection systems (unless specifically designed to treat mortalities).
____ Divert clean water from the production area.
____ Prevent direct contact of confined animals with waters of the state.
____ Ensure that chemicals and other contaminants handled on-site are not disposed of in any manure, litter, process wastewater, or storm water storage/treatment system.
Land Application
____ Identify appropriate site-specific conservation
practices to be implemented, including buffers to control runoff.
____ Maintain a setback area at least 100 feet from any down-gradient surface waters, open tile intake structures, sinkholes, agricultural well heads, or other conduits to surface waters where manure, litter, and other process wastewaters are not applied. (As a compliance alternative, a 35-foot vegetated buffer where manure, litter, or other process wastewaters are not applied. A CAFO can also demonstrate that a setback or buffer is not necessary or can be reduced).
____ Identify protocols for appropriate testing of manure, litter, process wastewater, and soil. ____ Collect and analyze manure, litter, and other process wastewaters annually for nutrient content, including N and P.
____ At least once every five years, collect and analyze representative soil samples for P content from all fields where manure, litter, and other process wastewaters are applied.
____ Establish protocols to land apply manure, litter, or process wastewater in accordance with site-
specific nutrient management practices that ensure appropriate agricultural use of nutrients. ____ Land apply manure, litter, and other process wastewaters in accordance with an NMP that establishes rates for each field based on the technical standards for nutrient management established by the director of the state regulating agency.
Record Keeping
____ Identify specific records that will be maintained to document the implementation and management of the NMP.
____ Maintain all records on-site for five years. These records must be made available to the permitting authority upon request.
____ Submit an annual report to the state.
Producer Checklist: Record-Keeping Requirements
Producers can use the checklist below to identify mandatory records that must be kept on-site for five years. Unchecked items represent issues that may need additional attention.
____ Expected crop yields
____ The date manure, litter, or process wastewater
is applied to each field.
____ The weather conditions at the time of
application and 24 hours before and after application.
____ Test methods used to sample and analyze
manure, litter, or process wastewater and soil. ____ Results from manure and soil sampling ____ Explanation of the basis for determining
manure application rates
____ The calculations showing the total N and P to
be applied to each field, including sources other than manure.
____ Total amount of N and P actually applied to
each field, including calculations.
____ The method used to apply the manure.
____ Dates that manure application equipment was
inspected.
____ Maintain for five years
____ Site-specific NMP is on-site.
____ When manure or process wastewater is transferred to other persons, they are provided with current nutrient analysis and the recipient information is documented in records.
Producer Checklist: Annual Report
All CAFO owners are required to submit an annual report. The report summarizes the amount of manure generated, applied, and exported from the operation. Producers can use the checklist below to identify mandatory issues that must be addressed in an annual report. Unchecked items represent issues that may need additional attention.
____ Number and type of animals
____ Total amount of manure produced
____ Amount of manure transferred off-site
____ Total acres available for land application ____ Total acres used for land application
____ Summary of discharges from production area
and land application area (not including
agricultural storm water discharge)
____ Whether a certified NMP planner was used
Definition of Abbreviations
AFO–Animal Feeding Operation. A lot or facility where animals are stabled or confined and maintained for a total of 45 days or more in any 12-month period, and crops, vegetation, forage growth, or post-harvest residues are not sustained in the normal growing season over any portion of the lot or facility.
CAFO–Concentrated Animal Feeding Operation. A CAFO is an AFO that is defined (by size) as a large CAFO or as a medium CAFO or that is designated as a CAFO in accordance with 40 CFR (Code of Federal Regulations) paragraph 122.23.
CNMP–Comprehensive Nutrient Management Plan. A plan defined by USDA for minimizing nutrient excretion, ensuring proper storage of manure and manure-contaminated water, applying manure nutrients at agronomic rates, and maintaining appropriate records.
ELG–Effluent Limitation Guidelines
NMP–Nutrient Management Plan. Required for CAFOs, includes Best Management Practices
(BMPs)
NPDES–National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System. Created by the Clean Water Act to authorize and regulate the discharges of pollutants to waters of the United States.
Authors
Ron Sheffield, an assistant professor at the University of Idaho, can be reached at rons@uidaho.edu. When this fact sheet was prepared, Julie Paschold was an extension assistant at the University of Nebraska.
Reviewer
The authors wish to thank Jeff Lorimor, Iowa State University, for his review of this fact sheet.
PRIMARY CONTACT INFORMATION ABOUT LIVESTOCK NUTRIENT MANAGEMENT IN WASHINGTON STATE
Washington State Department of Agriculture
Program Manager:
Nora Mena
360-902-2894
Administrative Assistant:
Laurie Crose
360-902-1982
Inspectors:
Lead Inspector and Southwestern Washington
Kirk Robinson
360-902-1928
Eastern Washington:
Ginny Prest
509-225-2608
Northwestern Washington
Jeff Canaan
360-941-3026
Washington State Department of Agriculture
Web site: www.agr.wa.gov
Permitting Authority
Washington State Department of Ecology
CAFO Permit Coordinator
Kevin P. Hancock
(360) 407-6283
khan461@ecy.wa.gov
CAFO General Permit Homepage
http://www.ecy.wa.gov/programs/wq/permits/cafo/
WASHINGTON STATE UNIVERSITY
Livestock Nutrient Management Specialist
Joe Harrison
WSU – Puyallup Research and Extension Center
253-445-4638
Harrison@puyallup.wsu.edu
Tip Hudson
Rangeland & Livestock Management
Ellensburg, WA
509-962-7507
hudsont@wsu.edu http://www.puyallup.wsu.edu/dairy/
Environmental Regulations Related Resources
http://www.epa.gov/npdes/caforule/–To obtain copy of regulations http://www.epa.gov/npdes/afo/statecontacts/–To obtain state environmental agency contact
Educational Resources
http://www.lpes.org/–To view the Livestock and Poultry Environmental Stewardship (LPES) curriculum resources
Fact sheet modified by:
Joe Harrison and Tip Hudson, Washington State Department of Agriculture Washington State Department of Ecology
Washington State Livestock Technical, Financial and Educational Assistance
Environmental Regulations Related Resources
http://www.epa.gov/npdes/caforule/–To obtain copy of regulations http://www.epa.gov/npdes/afo/statecontacts/–To obtain state environmental agency contact
State-specific resources
Educational Resources
http://www.lpes/–To view the Livestock and Poultry Environmental Stewardship (LPES) curriculum resources
http://www.reeusda.gov/1700/statepartners/usa.htm/–To obtain state Cooperative Extension contacts
State-specific resources
The local contact for your land-grant university Cooperative Extension program is listed in the phone book under “Cooperative Extension” or “(County Name) County Cooperative Extension.”
USDA Farm Bill Resources
To obtain more information about the Farm Bill 2002, see the USDA-NRCS website at http://www.nrcs.usda.gov/programs/farmbill/2002/. You can also contact your local USDA Service Center, listed in the phone book under “U.S. Department of Agriculture,” or your local conservation district.