Iowa CCA Good Advice – October 2008

EPA Finalizes Revised CAFO Rule

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recently finalized revisions to the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permitting requirements for concentrated animal feeding operations (CAFOs).

EPA will now require 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 a NMP for controlling manure, but the revised 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. After reviewing the NMP, the permitting authorities are required to provide the public with an opportunity to review the NMP before it is finalized. (more…)