The Environmental Protection Agency has finalized a rule "helping to protect the nation's water quality" by requiring concentrated animal feeding operations (CAFOs) to safely manage manure. EPA estimates CAFO regulations will prevent 56 million pounds of phosphorus, 110 million pounds of nitrogen and 2 billion pounds of sediment from entering streams, lakes and other waters annually.
"EPA's new regulation of animal feedlots sets a strong national standard for pollution prevention and environmental protection, while maintaining our country's economic and agricultural competitiveness," said assistant administrator for water Benjamin H. Grumbles. "This clean water rule strengthens environmental safeguards by embracing a zero discharge standard and requiring site-specific management plans to prevent runoff of excess nutrients into our nation's waters."
This is the first time EPA has required a nutrient management plan (NMP) for manure to be submitted as part of a CAFO's Clean Water Act permit application. Previous rules required a CAFO operator to use an NMP for controlling manure, but the regulation builds on that by requiring the NMP to be submitted with the permit application. The plan will be reviewed by the permitting authority and conditions based on it will be incorporated as enforceable terms of the permit. The proposed NMP and permit will be available for public review and comment before going final.
The regulation also requires that an owner or operator of a CAFO that actually discharges to streams, lakes and other waters must apply for a permit under the Clean Water Act. If a farmer designs, constructs, operates and maintains their facility such that a discharge will occur, a permit is needed. EPA is also providing an opportunity for CAFO operators who do not discharge or propose to discharge to show their commitment to pollution prevention by obtaining certification as zero dischargers.
Read more @ Farm Futures.
3/10/09
CAFOs and fish kills
“Excess nutrients in water such as nitrogen and phosphorus can result in or contribute to fish kills.”
Concentrated animal feeding operations continue to be a leading source of water quality impairment in the U.S., EPA said. Consolidation trends in the livestock industry have resulted in larger-sized operations that generate about 500 million tons of manure annually, the agency said in a release.
The NPDES permit program, established under the Clean Water Act, controls water pollution by regulating sources that discharge pollutants to waters in the United States.
Read more @ US EPA.
Concentrated animal feeding operations continue to be a leading source of water quality impairment in the U.S., EPA said. Consolidation trends in the livestock industry have resulted in larger-sized operations that generate about 500 million tons of manure annually, the agency said in a release.
The NPDES permit program, established under the Clean Water Act, controls water pollution by regulating sources that discharge pollutants to waters in the United States.
Read more @ US EPA.
PEW report on CAFO dangers
Pew Commission Says Industrial Scale Farm Animal Production Poses “Unacceptable” Risks to Public Health, Environment
The current industrial farm animal production (IFAP) system often poses unacceptable risks to public health, the environment and the welfare of the animals themselves, according to an extensive 2½-year examination conducted by the Pew Commission on Industrial Farm Animal Production (PCIFAP), in a study released today.
Commissioners have determined that the negative effects of the IFAP system are too great and the scientific evidence is too strong to ignore. Significant changes must be implemented and must start now. And while some areas of animal agriculture have recognized these threats and have taken action, it is clear that the industry has a long way to go.
Public Health
Over the past five decades, the number of farms producing animals for food has fallen dramatically, yet the number of food animals produced has remained roughly constant. It is the concentration of farm animals in larger and larger numbers in close proximity to one another, along with the potential of IFAP facilities to affect people, that give rise to many of the public health concerns that are attributed to IFAP. Animals in such close confinement, along with some of the feed and animal management methods employed in the system, increase pathogen risks and magnify opportunities for transmission from animals to humans. This increased risk is due to at least three factors: prolonged worker contact with animals, increased pathogen transmission within a herd or flock, and the increased opportunities for the generation of antimicrobial resistant bacteria (due to imprudent antimicrobial use) or new strains of viruses. Stresses induced by confinement may also increase the likelihood of infection and illness in animal populations.
Read more @ Pew Commission.
The current industrial farm animal production (IFAP) system often poses unacceptable risks to public health, the environment and the welfare of the animals themselves, according to an extensive 2½-year examination conducted by the Pew Commission on Industrial Farm Animal Production (PCIFAP), in a study released today.
Commissioners have determined that the negative effects of the IFAP system are too great and the scientific evidence is too strong to ignore. Significant changes must be implemented and must start now. And while some areas of animal agriculture have recognized these threats and have taken action, it is clear that the industry has a long way to go.
Public Health
Over the past five decades, the number of farms producing animals for food has fallen dramatically, yet the number of food animals produced has remained roughly constant. It is the concentration of farm animals in larger and larger numbers in close proximity to one another, along with the potential of IFAP facilities to affect people, that give rise to many of the public health concerns that are attributed to IFAP. Animals in such close confinement, along with some of the feed and animal management methods employed in the system, increase pathogen risks and magnify opportunities for transmission from animals to humans. This increased risk is due to at least three factors: prolonged worker contact with animals, increased pathogen transmission within a herd or flock, and the increased opportunities for the generation of antimicrobial resistant bacteria (due to imprudent antimicrobial use) or new strains of viruses. Stresses induced by confinement may also increase the likelihood of infection and illness in animal populations.
Read more @ Pew Commission.
3/9/09
Lax Regulations On CAFOs
Both the feed-growing and livestock operations can be significant polluters of the local and greater environment. Fertiliser run-off is a serious problem polluting many small water ways, large rivers and now even a large part of the Bay of Mexico. Pesticides can be highly dangerous and virtually impossible to apply without affecting the wider environment. Animal wastes can be a significant danger due to the large number of pathogens they can contain. Often environmental restrictions on modern concentrated animal feeding operations (CAFOs) are lax or less restrictive than those that apply to other industries. For example, animal waste can often be discharged straight into the environment while human waste is required to undergo significant processing before discharge.
Read more by Henry Hoffman.
Read more by Henry Hoffman.
Indiana neighbors frown on big pig operations
by Kevin Leininger
As far as Allen County land-use laws and Matt Schlatter are concerned, a farm is a farm. But to Charles Critchley and some of his neighbors, the presence of thousands of animals in a confined space isn't a farm at all - and should be treated accordingly.
Can the two sides find the common ground needed to prevent the increasingly common conflict between residential and agricultural interests? In the best American tradition, they have created a committee to find out. It's a worthy effort, and I wish them luck. They'll need it.
At issue are concentrated animal feeding operations (CAFOs) and smaller confined feeding operations (CFOs) that raise livestock in confined spaces, bringing food to the animals instead of allowing them to graze outdoors. Because waste from thousands of confined animals can pose a threat to the water supply if not properly managed, the operations - 2,190 statewide and 22 in Allen County - are regulated by the Indiana Department of Environmental Management. But, under the county's current zoning laws, they can operate on any land designated for agricultural use.
And that's just not good enough for Critchley, who has lived in the small southeast Allen County community of Maples for more than 40 years and is fighting a neighbor's attempt to operate a 4,000-hog CAFO a mile or so away.
“Ten or 20 hogs wouldn't bother us,” said Critchley, a retired engineer with General Dynamics, a military contractor. “But from our standpoint, not all farms are alike. To us, this is an industry. There needs to be a distinction (in the law) between farms and this CAFO, which would hurt our property values.” Critchley is also concerned that the exhaust from the facility could pollute the air - something not currently regulated by IDEM.
Read more at the Fort Wayne News-Sentinel.
As far as Allen County land-use laws and Matt Schlatter are concerned, a farm is a farm. But to Charles Critchley and some of his neighbors, the presence of thousands of animals in a confined space isn't a farm at all - and should be treated accordingly.
Can the two sides find the common ground needed to prevent the increasingly common conflict between residential and agricultural interests? In the best American tradition, they have created a committee to find out. It's a worthy effort, and I wish them luck. They'll need it.
At issue are concentrated animal feeding operations (CAFOs) and smaller confined feeding operations (CFOs) that raise livestock in confined spaces, bringing food to the animals instead of allowing them to graze outdoors. Because waste from thousands of confined animals can pose a threat to the water supply if not properly managed, the operations - 2,190 statewide and 22 in Allen County - are regulated by the Indiana Department of Environmental Management. But, under the county's current zoning laws, they can operate on any land designated for agricultural use.
And that's just not good enough for Critchley, who has lived in the small southeast Allen County community of Maples for more than 40 years and is fighting a neighbor's attempt to operate a 4,000-hog CAFO a mile or so away.
“Ten or 20 hogs wouldn't bother us,” said Critchley, a retired engineer with General Dynamics, a military contractor. “But from our standpoint, not all farms are alike. To us, this is an industry. There needs to be a distinction (in the law) between farms and this CAFO, which would hurt our property values.” Critchley is also concerned that the exhaust from the facility could pollute the air - something not currently regulated by IDEM.
Read more at the Fort Wayne News-Sentinel.
3/5/09
How Well Do You Know Your Food?
Factory Farms
Many animals that are raised for food for people in the U.S. such as cows, pigs, chickens, and turkeys, don’t live outdoors. They seldom see the sun, don’t feel grass underneath their feet, or play chase with their friends. They live in pens and cages in huge buildings called “factory farms“. There are no windows in factory farms, so animals raised there have never seen a cloud, a tree or a flower.
All these animals know about the world is how the steel bars of their cages taste, how it feels to lay or stand on concrete floors and wire cages, and how it feels to be locked in a cage so small that they can hardly move. Factory farms are also dirty and crowded, which makes it easy for diseases to spread. Because of unsanitary, crowded conditions which are filled with disease, farmers must administer antibiotics to animals. The antibiotics in meat eaten by people cause our bodies to harbor bacteria that in turn become resistant to medications. Approximately 78 percent of antibiotic use in our country is done in factory farm environments.
When you eat meat, dairy, or eggs from a factory farm environment, you can harm your health because the unnatural conditions of these operations affect the quality of your food – meats, dairy products, and eggs are full of antibiotics, chemicals, hormones, and the animals are given feed that is unnatural for them to consume (grains, corn, soy) - and ultimately, your health.
Factory farms also harm the environment by the methods used for production and farming. Pollution and waste created in the factory farm environment enter our ecosystems - soil, water, and air, and make our world a more toxic place to live.
Read more @ Agriculture Society.
Many animals that are raised for food for people in the U.S. such as cows, pigs, chickens, and turkeys, don’t live outdoors. They seldom see the sun, don’t feel grass underneath their feet, or play chase with their friends. They live in pens and cages in huge buildings called “factory farms“. There are no windows in factory farms, so animals raised there have never seen a cloud, a tree or a flower.
All these animals know about the world is how the steel bars of their cages taste, how it feels to lay or stand on concrete floors and wire cages, and how it feels to be locked in a cage so small that they can hardly move. Factory farms are also dirty and crowded, which makes it easy for diseases to spread. Because of unsanitary, crowded conditions which are filled with disease, farmers must administer antibiotics to animals. The antibiotics in meat eaten by people cause our bodies to harbor bacteria that in turn become resistant to medications. Approximately 78 percent of antibiotic use in our country is done in factory farm environments.
When you eat meat, dairy, or eggs from a factory farm environment, you can harm your health because the unnatural conditions of these operations affect the quality of your food – meats, dairy products, and eggs are full of antibiotics, chemicals, hormones, and the animals are given feed that is unnatural for them to consume (grains, corn, soy) - and ultimately, your health.
Factory farms also harm the environment by the methods used for production and farming. Pollution and waste created in the factory farm environment enter our ecosystems - soil, water, and air, and make our world a more toxic place to live.
Read more @ Agriculture Society.
3/4/09
Schottler Dairy Farm Exapnsion Plan
The following was taken from the December 10, 2008 Town Board Meeting minutes. It gives an overview of the Schottler Dairy Farm plan.
Marie Colbeth, representing the Schottler Dairy Farm, her father, John Schottler, husband, Rick Colbeth, and brothers, Nick and Joe Schottler, came forward to explain and answer questions about their dairy proposal. She explained the family is exploring the possibility of a 3,800 cow dairy to be built in Erin Prairie Township in section 20 or 29. The decision has not been made exactly where the dairy will be located, an engineer will help in the planning and construction.
The 3,800 animals will include approximately 500 dry cows and 300 calves. About 80-100 acres are necessary to build the farm site on and 5,600 acres available for manure spreading.
Questions were raised concerning the smell, disposal of the manure, the water level, ground water contamination, whether this will cause lower property values for the homes located near it, and the wear on the roads surrounding the dairy. Several of those in attendance expressed that they do not want to be located near a large dairy because of the previously mentioned concerns and would prefer it not be built in Erin Prairie Township.
Comments were made that Erin Prairie is an agricultural township, which makes it the place something like this should be built. Erin Prairie does have many open acres available to handle the manure.
It was mentioned that Erin Prairie Township does not have any ordinances regulating or prohibiting large dairies from being built.
Many permits must be obtained from the state and/or county and this process will include informational hearings and meetings. At these hearings the DNR will be available to answer questions and concerns.
A comment was made thanking the Schottlers for presenting this to the community before the permitting and building process is started.
Read the complete minutes.
Marie Colbeth, representing the Schottler Dairy Farm, her father, John Schottler, husband, Rick Colbeth, and brothers, Nick and Joe Schottler, came forward to explain and answer questions about their dairy proposal. She explained the family is exploring the possibility of a 3,800 cow dairy to be built in Erin Prairie Township in section 20 or 29. The decision has not been made exactly where the dairy will be located, an engineer will help in the planning and construction.
The 3,800 animals will include approximately 500 dry cows and 300 calves. About 80-100 acres are necessary to build the farm site on and 5,600 acres available for manure spreading.
Questions were raised concerning the smell, disposal of the manure, the water level, ground water contamination, whether this will cause lower property values for the homes located near it, and the wear on the roads surrounding the dairy. Several of those in attendance expressed that they do not want to be located near a large dairy because of the previously mentioned concerns and would prefer it not be built in Erin Prairie Township.
Comments were made that Erin Prairie is an agricultural township, which makes it the place something like this should be built. Erin Prairie does have many open acres available to handle the manure.
It was mentioned that Erin Prairie Township does not have any ordinances regulating or prohibiting large dairies from being built.
Many permits must be obtained from the state and/or county and this process will include informational hearings and meetings. At these hearings the DNR will be available to answer questions and concerns.
A comment was made thanking the Schottlers for presenting this to the community before the permitting and building process is started.
Read the complete minutes.
Wis. DNR approves Rosendale Dairy expansion of largest cafo
"We have yet to fully understand the environmental and economic ramifications of a (concentrated animal feeding operation) of this size," Beitlich said. "The groundwater contamination and air pollution produced by Rosendale will be unprecedented in Wisconsin. When Rosendale's plans are complete, it will produce 75 million gallons of manure per year and match the waste produced by the city of Green Bay."
Sue Beitlich
Wisconsin Farmers Union President
---
A waste-water discharge permit issued this week by the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources opens the door for Rosendale Dairy to take the first step toward becoming the biggest dairy in the state.
The permit, coupled with a recently completed environmental impact study, will allow the owners to begin hiring as they increase the size of the herd from 700 cows to 4,000. A possible second phase requiring additional public review and DNR approval could add 4,000 cows for an eventual total of 8,000 cows.
DNR officials said the second expansion would make Rosendale the largest dairy farm in the state.
The large-scale operation has drawn criticism from some local residents and officials who fear the manure will harm the groundwater. Opponents also raised concerns about the odor and increased traffic from milk and supply trucks and farm machinery moving in and out of the farm.
Read more @ Oshkosh Northwesterner.
Sue Beitlich
Wisconsin Farmers Union President
---
A waste-water discharge permit issued this week by the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources opens the door for Rosendale Dairy to take the first step toward becoming the biggest dairy in the state.
The permit, coupled with a recently completed environmental impact study, will allow the owners to begin hiring as they increase the size of the herd from 700 cows to 4,000. A possible second phase requiring additional public review and DNR approval could add 4,000 cows for an eventual total of 8,000 cows.
DNR officials said the second expansion would make Rosendale the largest dairy farm in the state.
The large-scale operation has drawn criticism from some local residents and officials who fear the manure will harm the groundwater. Opponents also raised concerns about the odor and increased traffic from milk and supply trucks and farm machinery moving in and out of the farm.
Read more @ Oshkosh Northwesterner.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
