Transcript Slide 1

ENVIRONMENTAL REGULATIONS
FOR EQUINE AND SMALL FARM OPERATIONS
EROSION & SEDIMENTATION
NUTRIENT MANAGEMENT
PA produces 26,000,000 tons of manure a year (excluding
equine)
A dairy cow produces 2,500 gallons of milk and 6,000 gallons
of manure a year
A pig gains 250 lbs in 5 months and
produces 2,000 lbs of manure
A horse produces 16,000 lbs of
manure a year.
Only 25% of PA horse farms use their
manure
Manure is a Resource!!!!!!!!!!!!
• What is Manure? Great Stuff!!!!
• Organic matter and soil microbes
– Water and nutrient holding capacity
– Micro nutrients (Calcium, Magnesium, Sulfur, Zinc, and
more)
– Macro nutrients (N – P – K)
• Value based on N-P-K value alone is approximately:
– $287/cow/year
– $785/1000 broilers/year
– $34/hog/year
►WHY? What’s at stake?
►Soil Erosion
►Nutrients
What is Erosion & Sedimentation?
• RAIN – a bomb raid for
bare soil!
• DETACHMENT
– Impacts of raindrops on
bare soil breaks apart
soil aggregates
Sediment in Streams
• Biggest water pollutant in PA by volume
• What does it do?
– Reduces flow capacity of ditches, canals, culverts,
other water conveyances
• Increases flooding potential
• Accelerates stream bank erosion
– Increases turbidity (think murky, muddy water)
• Degrades water quality
SEDIMENT NEVER
TRAVELS ALONE….
Nutrients
• In the process of producing, storing,
transporting and land applying manure,
pathogens and nutrients (nitrogen &
phosphorus) can be transported to surface
and ground waters.
• All affect water quality
Phosphorus
• Phosphorus is often the
limiting growth element for
aquatic plants
• Aquatic plants and algae
bloom under high
phosphorus conditions
• As aquatic vegetation dies,
oxygen is depleted
• Use of water for drinking,
fishing, and recreation is
limited
• Phosphorus is lost and
enters waterways
through
– EROSION
Phosphorus Pollution
Chesapeake Bay Watershed
What is being done?
Agencies are implementing stronger
regulations and accountability programs
to control agricultural runoff.
In the past, the emphasis was on larger
operations, new emphasis will be on smaller
operations, especially equine (large number
of high density horse operations in all
states)
WHO is Regulated?
 All Animal Operations (AOs)
 All operations generating/utilizing manure
 Regulated by PA DEP (PA Clean Streams Law)
 Concentrated Animal Operations
(CAOs)
AOs (40,000+)
 Animal Density greater than 2 AEUs/ Acre
 1 AEU = 1000 lbs
 8 or more AEU’s
 Regulated by PA State Conservation
Commission (Act 38)
CAOs (1,050+)
 Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations (CAFOs)
 Based on animal numbers and/or animal density
 Farms > 1,000 AEUs, CAOs > 300 AEUs
 Regulated by PA DEP (for US EPA)
CAFOs (340+)
Necessary Calculations
Animal Equivalent Units (AEU) =
Average # of Animals x Average Animal Weight (lbs) ÷ 1000*
x
Number of Days on Operation ÷ 365
Animal Density =
AEU ÷ Number of Acres Suitable for Manure
Concentrated Animal Operation (CAO) :
More than 2 AEU/ Acre AND More than 8 AEUs
* 1 AU = 1000 lbs
Animal Inventory: 8 Draft Horses
4 Ponies
6 Mules
15 Finishing Hogs (grow – finish) on farm for 100 days
Land Inventory: Farmstead: 2 Acres
Woodland: 5 Acres
Pasture: 10 Acres
Rented Cropland: 12 Acres
Animal Type
No.
Animals
X
Animal
Weight (lbs)
÷
1000
X
X
÷
1000
X
÷
X
X
Production
Days
÷
365
X
÷
365
1000
X
÷
365
÷
1000
X
÷
365
÷
1000
X
÷
365
AEUs
Total AEU =
Acres available for manure ÷
Animal Density: AEU/ Acre =
Animal
Type
No.
Animals
X
Draft
8
X
Ponies
4
Mules
Hogs
Animal
÷
Weight (lbs)
1000
X
Production
Days
÷
365
AEU
1,800
÷ 1,000
X
365
÷
365
14.4
X
600
÷ 1,000
X
365
÷
365
2.4
6
X
1,100
÷ 1,000
X
365
÷
365
6.6
15
X
155
÷ 1,000
X
100
÷
365
.6
Total AEUs =
Acres Available for Manure
AEUs/Acre (Animal Density)
24
÷ 22
=
1.1
What are the regulations?
State
AO - produce manure
Manure Management Plan
AO - with an animal
concentration area
Manure Management Plan and
Conservation/Erosion and
Sediment Control Plan
Concentrated Animal
Operation (CAO) - over 8
AEUs and 2000 lbs animal per
acre
Federal
Concentrated Animal
Feeding Operation (CAFO)
- animals confined to houses
and/or feedlots and exceeds
PA DEP animal group
thresholds
Nutrient Management Plan
Conservation Plan (Erosion)
Nutrient Management Plan
Conservation Plan (Erosion)
CAFO permit
DEP Manure Management Plan
Act 38 Nutrient Management Plan
Written By
Farmer
Certified nutrient management
planner
Cost
May be of no cost to farmer
$ varies by operation
Who
Needs
One
Farms with livestock and/or
that apply manure
Concentrated Animal
Operations; Volunteer Farms
Regulates
Animal Concentration Areas
Manure Storage
Pasture
Mechanical Manure Application
Agency
Regulated by DEP/
Conservation Districts
Regulated by SCC/
Conservation Districts
Approval
None required
Approved by Conservation
District Board
Liability
Protection
None claimed
Limited liability for civil
complaints
DEP Manure Management Regulations
• All farms generating/using manure MUST have a Manure
Management Plan
– Must use the workbook provided
(http://panutrientmgmt.cas.psu.edu/manure_management_progra
m.htm)
– Must be a written plan and include farm maps
– Can be written by farmer or other non-certified individual
– No submission and no approval required
• Kept on site
– May be required to produce the plan upon request
– Must keep records
Pasture Management
• Pastures need to be
properly managed by
either:
– Maintaining dense
vegetation with at least 3”
growth during growing
season (or)
– Implementing a grazing plan
meeting the NRCS standard
• Overgrazed pastures not
meeting the above
requirements
– Must be considered a
barnyard or Animal
Concentration Area (ACA)
• Stream bank fencing
restricting access to a
stream is not required for a
true pasture
Pasture Management
Unacceptable
Acceptable
Animal Concentration Area Management (ACA)
Barnyards
Exercise Lots
Bare Animal Concentration Areas
ACA Management
• Divert upslope water
• Direct polluted runoff into storage or vegetative
treatment strip or system
• Remove manure
• No animal access to streams from an ACA except
using properly constructed crossings
• Keep water/feed areas away from streams
Manure Storage Requirements
•
As of 2000, all newly built liquid and semi-solid manure storages must be:
Designed by a Pa registered Professional Engineer
•
Larger manure storage facilities require a DEP permit
•
Must be maintained
In-Field Manure Stacking
• Unimproved in-field
stacking areas:
– 100’ from streams, water
wells and sinkholes
– Divert upslope water
– Place the stack on less
than 8% slopes
– Not same place as last
year
– Manure must be dry to
allow it to be stacked
– Cover the stack if it will be
there more than 120 days
• Stacking on improved
areas (such as in the
farmstead) does not
need to follow these
same restrictions, just no
direct runoff to waters
Mechanical Manure Application Setbacks
• 100’ manure application
setbacks for
– Streams, lakes, ponds, and
existing open sinkholes
– Private or public drinking
water source
• 100’ may be reduced for
streams, lakes, ponds
– 35’ with a permanent
vegetative buffer
– 50’ with current soil tests
(3 years) less than 200
ppm P and use no-till and
cover crops
• Pastures meeting the
pasture management
requirements
– 35’ mechanical manure
application setback
Winter Spreading Restrictions
• Defines “Winter”
– Between the dates of December 15 to February 28 (or)
– The ground is frozen 4 inches or more (or)
– The ground is snow covered
• Provides maximum application rate for the winter months
– 5,000 gallons per acre of liquid manure
– 20 tons per acre dry non-poultry manure
– 3 tons per acre dry poultry manure
• Requires 25% plant or residue cover at application time
• No winter application on slopes steeper than 15%
Manure Application Rates
• Three options for developing manure rates:
• 1) Use manure application charts in workbook
– Easiest but very general – not farm specific
– Based on crop groups and yield, type of manure, and
application method
– Can use N based charts if current soil test is < 200 ppm P
– Must use P based charts if current soil test is >200 ppm P
or no soil test is available
• Based on the phosphorus that the plants are able to remove
• Approximately 1/3 N rate
Manure Application Rates
Manure Application Rates
• Three options for
developing manure rates:
• 2) Use Nutrient Balance
Sheet Worksheet
– Harder but site specific
– Use N based option if current
soil test is < 200 ppm P
– Use P based option if current
soil test is >200 ppm P or no
soil test is available
• Approximately 1/3 N rate
http://panutrientmgmt.cas.psu.edu/main_planning_tools.htm
Manure Application Rates
• Three options for
developing manure rates:
• 3.) Use the PA
Phosphorus-Index
– Most complex
– Most flexible
– Will need to use an
authorized planner
– N or P based on the
results of the P Index
http://pubs.cas.psu.edu/freepubs/pdfs/uc180.pdf
Help? Agencies that can help you……..
•
•
•
•
Conservation District
Penn State Extension
Natural Resource Conservation Service
Department of Environmental Protection
Regulations Summary…
• All animal farms
–
–
–
–
Manure Management Plan (pre-approved standardized format)
Written by farmer
Manure application, ACAs, pastures and barnyards
No submission, review or approval
• Higher density animal farms (CAOs)
– Nutrient Management Plan, more detailed
– Written by certified planner
– Submitted, reviewed and approved by Conservation District
• Larger animal farms (CAFOs)
– Nutrient Management Plan – reviewed and approved
– DEP CAFO Permit
38
Donna L. Foulk
[email protected]
Extension Educator – Equine Natural Resources
Sarah M. Rihl
[email protected]
Equine Program Assistant
Penn State Cooperative Extension, Northampton County, 610-746-1970
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v.04.2012