ANIMAL FEEDING OPERATION REGS Ron Jepson CDPHE - Water Quality Control Division.

ANIMAL FEEDING ANIMAL FEEDING OPERATION REGSOPERATION REGS

Ron Jepson

CDPHE - Water Quality

Control Division

What is an AFO?What is an AFO?

• Confined animal or poultry growing operation– Livestock fed for 45

days or longer in any 12-month period

– No forage growth during growing season

• Non-point pollution

What is a CAFO?What is a CAFO?

• Concentrated Animal Feeding Operation Must be an AFO first AFO with 1,000 animal unit equivalencyEquivalency factors (50% of adult wt. = 50% AU)

Feed cattle 1.0 Dairy cattle 1.4 (715) Swine or Sheep 0.2 (5,000) Horses 1.0 Chickens/Turkeys 0.01 - 0.02

CAFOs (cont)CAFOs (cont)

• Any AFO can be designated a CAFO if:– Pollutants discharged

into waters of state:

through ditch or other manmade device

through contamination of flow-through water


• An AFO is a CAFO if:

• Located where it could affect a hydrologically sensitive area

Colorado’s CAFO RegulationColorado’s CAFO Regulation

• CAFO here means Confined Animal Feeding Operations (since 1974/92)– Versus Concentrated

• Regulates AFOs and CAFOs

• Protect surface & ground water, and soils

• Regulation No. 81

What is a HCSFO?What is a HCSFO?

Housed Commercial Swine Feeding Operations

• > 800,000 pounds of live weight capacity at any one time– Or is deemed commercial by local zoning or land use

• Amendment 14 in 1998• Regulation No. 61

Colorado’s Two AFO RegsColorado’s Two AFO Regs

http://www.cdphe.state.co.us/regs/100281.pdfwww…./100261.pdf

CAFO Regs (cont) - DischargesCAFO Regs (cont) - Discharges

Discharge

• Introduction or addition of a pollutant into state waters

• Except as result of 25-year, 24-hour storm

• Discharges from chronic storms permit

Goal: No discharge to waters of state


WATERS OF THE STATE

Any and all surface and subsurface waters which are contained in or flow through Colorado.

Includes dry washes

CAFO Regs (cont) - CAFO Regs (cont) - AFOsAFOs

• AFOs must utilize BMPs, as appropriate– To reduce impacts from AFOs

1. Divert runoff from uncontaminated areas• e.g., roofs, ditches, terraces

2. Decrease open lot surface area• e.g., animal density, roofs, collect manure

frequently

CAFO Regs (cont) - AFOsCAFO Regs (cont) - AFOs

3. Decrease water volume• Minimize water wastage

• Minimize flushing volumes

• Recycle

4. Decrease discharges to watercourses• Impound and evaporate wastewater

• Land apply at agronomic rates

• No storage within 100-year flood plain

CAFO Regs (cont) - AFOsCAFO Regs (cont) - AFOs

5. Minimize transport to water (cont)• Remove settleable solids

– Settling basins, terraces, diversions

• Grassed strips, filter fences, straw bales at edge of eroded soil

6. Protect groundwater• Locate a min. 150’ from water wells

• Establish land application buffers around wells

CAFO Regs (cont) - CAFO Regs (cont) - CAFOsCAFOs

• Are concentrated AFOs• Point sources of pollution • Divert run-on water; collect contaminated

run-off water (1/4” to 1/32”/day seepage)• No discharge except as a result of storms in

excess of 25-year, 24-hour event.• No siting requirements

– HCSFOs: 50’ to 300’ from water

CAFO Regs (cont) - CAFOsCAFO Regs (cont) - CAFOs

• Land application– Flood irrigation: recover tailwater– No discharge to waters when ground is frozen,

saturated, or during rainfall– Three options of applying manure at agronomic

rates

• Submit manure and process wastewater management plan to the WQCD– (if new or expanded after 8/92)

CAFOs - CAFOs - Discharge PermitsDischarge Permits

• Discharge permit from state not required if discharge only as result of storms in excess of 25-year, 24-hour storm.

• State released a CAFO general permit for public comment on March 2, 2001– Available in May, 2001

AFOs and CNMPsAFOs and CNMPs

Four Minimum Elements of a CNMP

• Per December 1, 2000, USDA CNMP Technical Guidance– Manure & Process Wastewater Handling

– Land Treatment Practices• Erosion and runoff control

– Nutrient Management

– Recordkeeping


Other Elements of a CNMP

• Feed Management

• Other Utilization Activities– Composting, pelleting, treatment systems,

energy production, …


Comprehensive Nutrient Management

Plans (CNMPs)

• CNMPs are neither required nor regulated for AFOs or CAFOs!!!– Are a national expectation for AFOs under

1999 USDA/EPA National AFO Strategy

CNMPs vs. State CAFO RegsCNMPs vs. State CAFO Regs

CNMPs• Fully integrated

conservation system

• Feed, air quality, pathogen, insect control, visual, and mortality elements

STATE CAFO REGS• Specific regulatory

elements are required Most CNMP elements

required

Not feed & mortality management, etc.

Added requirements under permits

CAFO or AFO?CAFO or AFO?

1. Dairy farm with 650 milking

cows.

2. Feedlot with 900 steers

3. Feedlot with 5000 lambs


4. Swine operation with 800,000 lbs of live weight capacity

5. Bare lot next to creek with 2 horses

6. Bare lot with 561 elk


7. Three AFOs under common ownership or management

– Not adjacent to each other

Proposed EPA Changes to Proposed EPA Changes to CAFOCAFO

• From 1,000 AUs to 500 or 750

• Or, revised 3-tier – 0 to 300, 300 to 1000, over 1000

• 300 to 1,000 answer 6 risk questions– Direct contact of animals with waters of U.S?– Insufficient storage/containment?– Evidence of discharge within last 5 years?


– Production area within 100’ of waters of U.S.?

– Does not have or is not implementing a nutrient management plan per EPA specs?

– > 12 tons manure sent off-site to single recipient, annually?

• Eliminate 25-yr, 24-hr storm event permit exclusion

• Duty to apply for permit• Co-permitting of contractor & contractee


• Definition of CAFO includes both production area and land application area

• Eliminate use of Animal Unit– Go to “number of animals” in a class– For example; 1000 cattle, heifers

• 700 mature dairy cattle

• 10,000 sheep or lambs

• 500 horses


• Swine and poultry no discharge

• Recordkeeping for off-site manure

• Nutrient Budgets: P-based

• Permitted until properly closed

• Include dry poultry operations

• Clarify ag stormwater exemption

• GW hydrologic connection to surface water


• Require mortality management plan

• Comment period ends May 14, 2001

• Public meeting in Denver on March 27, 2001– Executive Tower Hotel– 1405 Curtis St.

RON JEPSON’S PHONE NUMBER

303 – 692 - 3520

ANIMAL FEEDING OPERATION REGS Ron Jepson CDPHE - Water Quality Control Division.

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