feedlot regulations in minnesota

George SchwintSenior Engineer

MPCA Feedlot Division

Gov’t Participants in MN FeedlotsGov’t Participants in MN Feedlots• MPCA - Minnesota Pollution Control Agency• Regulatory arm of MN Gov for feedlots (Rule 7020)• Provide no technical assistance (design work)

• MDA – Minnesota Department of Agriculture• Provides assistance to producers (non-technical) and

promotes ag activities in state• BWSR – Board of Water and Soil Resources• provides some state cost share funding for projects

• DNR – Department of Natural Resources• Little to no involvement in feedlots (water appropriations)

• NRCS • Provides cost share (EQUIP) and technical assistance

MPCA StructureMPCA Structure

• MPCA leadership is actually a group of eight citizens appointed by the Governor • Referred to as the MPCA Citizen’s Board• Makes final decisions on certain permits or actions

or if requested via petition• MPCA also has a commissioner appointed by

the Governor• Authorizes day to day activities• Chairs Citizens Board

What is a CAFO in MNWhat is a CAFO in MN

• Head Count – Federal CAFO Rule• 1000 cattle• 2500 swine• 700 Dairy Cows

• Animal Units (AU) – State Rule• 1,000 or more AU in any combination• 1 steer = 1 AU• 1 swine 55-300 lbs = 0.3 AU• 1 Dairy Cow over 1000 lbs = 1.4 AU

How Many CAFO’sHow Many CAFO’s

• 1,093 total CAFO’s• 62 Primarily Dairies• 67 Primarily Beef

• 10 Federal CAFO’s but NOT over 1000 AU• 786 Primarily Swine

• 305 Federal CAFO’s but NOT over 1000 AU• 168 Primarily Poultry

• 67 Federal CAFO’s but NOT over 1000 AU• 9 Feedlots over 1000 AU but NOT Federal CAFO

• Combo of Animals not over any one Federal Threshold• 1 Horse Facility

General vs Individual NPDES PermitGeneral vs Individual NPDES Permit

• General Permit – 1,049 Facilities (96%)• Eligibility Criteria• No pollution hazzards• No “New Technology”• No history of problems• No land app of liquid manure in winter

• In process of reissuance of all Permits• Individual Permit – 23 Facilities (2%)• Majority have issues that need fixing• 2 have large infiltration areas for open lot runoff

Doc’s Required with NPDES Permit AppDoc’s Required with NPDES Permit App

• Air Emissions Plan• Emergency Response Plan• Operation & Maintenance Plan• Animal Mortality Plan• Manure Management Plan (MMP)• Stormwater Pollution Prevention Plan (SWPP)• Stormwater req’s incorporated into feedlot permit

• Plans and specs • Liquid Manure Storage Areas only

Air Emissions PlanAir Emissions Plan

• Methods to minimize air emissions (BMP’s)• Measures to mitigate air emissions in the event of

an exceedance of the state ambient H2S standard• 50 ppb – no more than 2 times per year• 30 ppb - no more than 2 times 5 consecutive days• Exemption for manure removal (21 days max)

• A complaint response protocol• List of potential odor sources and which sources most

likely to generate significant odors• Anticipated odor control strategies

Manure Management PlansManure Management Plans

• Required whenever a permit is issued• Keep updated at all times for CAFO’s or facilities

over 300 AU not using Commercial Applicator• Components for CAFO’s• One Year Field & Rate Specific • only portion needed for non-CAFO’s

• Methodology for remaining years of permit term• All Fields and Crops scenarios possible• Follow all applicable rule requirements• Utilize University rec’s and data for rate determination

Nitrogen Rate ManagementNitrogen Rate Management

Crop Yield Previous Crop

Crop 2 years ago

Max Nitrogen

Corn Any Corn No Alfalfa 180Corn Any Corn Alfalfa 130Corn Any Soybeans No Alfalfa 140Corn Any Alfalfa Any 80Wheat 60 – 69 bu Corn No Alfalfa 110Wheat 60 – 69 bu Soybeans No Alfalfa 90

• U of MN changed N Rec’s (for corn only) to not be yield dependent• MPCA instituted Max N rate

Soil Phosphorus ManagementSoil Phosphorus ManagementSoil Test

Value (ppm)< 22 Bray

< 17 Olsen22 – 75 Bray

17 – 60 Olsen76 – 150 Bray

61 – 120 Olsen> 150 Bray

> 120 Olsen

More than 300 ft from water

No P Mgmt Requirements

No P Mgmt Requirements

No P Mgmt Requirements

Permit Required

Less than 300 ft from waters

No P Mgmt Requirements

No P Buildup over 6 years

Permit Required

Permit Required

• Waters include Lakes, rivers, streams, intermittent streams, protected wetlands, unbermed drainage ditches, and tile intakes when soil P levels are above 75 Bray or above 21 Bray at a CAFO

• Restrictions do not apply if a 100 ft non-manured vegetative buffer along lakes and streams, or a 50 ft non-manured vegetative buffer along intermittent streams, protected wetlands, and unbermed drainage ditches is maintained

Winter ApplicationWinter Applicationof Manure at CAFO’sof Manure at CAFO’s

• No liquid winter application unless emergency• Winter is after Dec 1 and frozen or snow covered• Must identify some emergency fields in the MMP

• < 4% slope, 3500 gal/acre max & no more than 60 lbs P• Solid Manure Application• No active snowmelt

• 2 inches of snow and 40oF• Slope less than 6%• MN P Index rating of low (2.0 or less)• 50% chance of ¼ inch of rainfall• Must identify fields in MMP

MMP’s IncorporatedMMP’s IncorporatedInto NPDES PermitsInto NPDES Permits

• Web notice for 30 days• So far very few comments on permits• So far process has been going well

• Create a broad plan to avoid frequent changes to Permit terms on subsequent web notices• List all possible fields & crops• Follow U of MN rec’s

MMP DevelopmentMMP Development

• No specific format required• Developed a Excel based spreadsheet for

public use• Meets all rule and permit req’s• Includes methodology

• Can use other formats• NRCS software in combo with written methodolgy

portions

New/Updated ComponentsNew/Updated Componentsof General NPDES Permitof General NPDES Permit

• No winter application of liquid manure• Feed storage area runoff must be contained• Basins or infiltration areas

• Groundwater Monitoring Incorporated• Within O&M plan for facility

• Anaerobic Digestion Incorporated• Account for digester in Air Emissions Plan• Startup, breakdowns, by-passes

Environmental ReviewEnvironmental Review

• Environmental Assessment Worksheet (EAW)• Mandatory for expansions of 1,000 AU or more• within a 3 year period • in the same geographic area

• Mandatory threshold at 500 AU in sensitive areas • Shoreland, Floodplain, DWSMA, Karst Features

• Exemption for facilities with less than 1,000 AU • hold a public meeting prior to permit application• not in a sensitive areas

Recent Misc. Items of InterestRecent Misc. Items of Interest

• HDPE lined Basin Bubbles• Includes those vented

• Revocation and Reissuance of a Permit and later Denial of Permit Reissuance• History of noncompliance• H2S violations

• Public health hazard

• Bad Actor Statute