Proposed EPA rule changes will affect many Missouri livestock farmers
New rules are being proposed that will affect Missouri livestock farmers. The Environmental Protection Agency--EPA--has rewritten the rules used to regulate animal feeding operations. If adopted, these rules would represent the largest shift in water quality regulations affecting dairy, swine, beef, and poultry operations in nearly 30 years. Crop farmers applying manure on their fields may also be subject to the proposed regulations.
These proposed rules will result in at least 650 additional Missouri livestock producers needing permits to stay in business. The proposed rules include major changes in how livestock farmers store manure and determine manure application rates.
The proposed rules redefine a farmer's responsibility for monitoring equipment and manure storage and a farmer's responsibility when closing a manure storage facility. And, the proposed rules also seek to redefine how EPA regulates land that receives manure and the responsibilities of those who receive manure from livestock farms.
If implemented, most of these rules would affect Missouri farms in two to five years. However, there are many benefits from educating yourself now about this major shift in water quality regulations. Initially, it will help you take part in the public review/comment of the proposed national regulations on-going through May 14, 2001.
The objective of this Commercial Agriculture Special edition is to familiarize you with how these rules may affect your farm if they are adopted. The following articles will acquaint you with the major components of the proposed rules, including a section detailing key management changes suggested by the regulation on Missouri swine, dairy, beef, and poultry farms. Finally, this edition will detail where you can get more information about the proposed rules and how you can take part in the public review.
Understanding the proposed rules will also help you in the following ways.
Dick Lee