[Federal Register Volume 63, Number 221 (Tuesday, November 17, 1998)]
[Notices]
[Pages 63823-63826]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 98-30666]
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Notices
Federal Register
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This section of the FEDERAL REGISTER contains documents other than rules
or proposed rules that are applicable to the public. Notices of hearings
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Federal Register / Vol. 63, No. 221 / Tuesday, November 17, 1998 /
Notices
[[Page 63823]]
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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
Draft Unified National Strategy for Animal Feeding Operations;
Meeting
AGENCY: Department of Agriculture and Environmental Protection Agency.
ACTION: Notice of Meeting.
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SUMMARY: Notice is hereby given that the United States Department of
Agriculture (USDA) and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
will conduct 11 public listening sessions where interested individuals
can ask questions and provide feedback on the draft Unified National
Strategy for Animal Feeding Operations. This national strategy is one
of the key actions in the Clean Water Action Plan announced by
President Clinton in February 1998.
The public is invited to attend the sessions and attain a better
understanding of the draft strategy. After a brief overview of the
draft strategy, a question and answer discussion will be held. Those
who wish to speak at a session may either make arrangements in advance
by calling the contact listed for the session or sign up at the
session. Time for each speaker will be limited to allow time for all to
be heard.
All are encouraged to provide detailed written comments concerning
the draft strategy. Written comments will not be accepted at the
sessions, but addressed envelopes will be provided for mailing written
comments. Written comments will be accepted through January 19, 1999,
and should be mailed to Denise C. Coleman, Program Analyst, USDA
Natural Resources Conservation Service, ATTN: AFO, P.O. Box 2890,
Washington, DC 20013-2890, or sent via e-mail to
denise__c.coleman@usda.gov.
DATES AND LOCATIONS: The meetings will be held November 16 through
December 15 at the following locations:
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Location Date
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Tulsa, OK................................ November 16.
Harrisburg, PA........................... November 17.
Ontario, CA.............................. November 23.
Madison, WI.............................. November 30.
Seattle, WA.............................. December 3.
Des Moines, IA........................... December 4.
Chattanooga, TN.......................... December 9.
Indianapolis, IN......................... December 10.
Fort Worth, TX........................... December 10.
Denver, CO............................... December 14.
Annapolis, MD............................ December 15.
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FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: To obtain additional information about
a specific meeting, contact one of the following or visit the World
Wide Web at http://cleanwater.gov.
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Location Contact Person Phone Address
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Tulsa, OK.............................. Ronnie Clark, USDA-NRCS... 405-742-1204 USDA Agri-Center Bldg.,
Brad Lamb, EPA Region 6... 214-665-6683 1445 Ross Ave. (6WQ-AG),
Dallas, TX 75202.
Harrisburg, PA......................... Janet Oertly, USDA-NRCS... 717-237-2200 1 Credit Union Place,
Suite 340, Harrisburg,
PA 17110-2993.
Joe Piotrowski, EPA Region 215-814-2310 1650 Arch Street,
3. Philadelphia, PA 19103.
Ontario, CA............................ Jeff Vonk, USDA-NRCS...... 530-757-8215 2121-C 2nd Street, Suite
102, Davis, CA 95616-
5475.
Virginia Donahue, EPA 415-744-2275 75 Hawthorne Street, San
Region 9. Francisco, CA 94105.
Madison, WI............................ Pat Leavenworth, USDA-NRCS 608-276-8732 6515 Watts Road, Suite
x229 200, Madison, WI 53719-
2726.
Steve Jann, EPA Region 5.. 312-886-2446 77 West Jackson Blvd.,
Chicago, IL 60604-7804.
Seattle, WA............................ Joe Roberto, EPA Region 10 206-553-1669 1200 6th Ave., Seattle,
WA 98101.
Leonard Jordan, USDA-NRCS. 509-323-2900 Rock Pointe Tower II, W.
316 Boone Avenue, Suite
450, Spokane, WA 99201-
2348.
Des Moines, IA......................... Leroy Brown, USDA-NRCS.... 515-284-6655 693 Federal Building, 210
Walnut Street, Suite
693, Des Moines, IA
50309-2180.
Ralph Summers, EPA Region 913-551-7418 726 Minnesota Ave.,
7. Kansas City, KS 66101.
Chattanooga, TN........................ Roosevelt Childress, EPA 404-562-9279 Atlanta Federal Center,
Region 4. 61 Forsyth St., SW,
Atlanta, GA 30303.
James Ford, USDA-NRCS..... 617-736-5471 675 U.S. Courthouse, 801
Broadway, Nashville, TN
37203-3878.
Indianapolis, IN....................... Bob Eddleman, USDA-NRCS... 317-290-3200 6013 Lakeside Blvd.,
Indianapolis, IN 46278-
2933.
[[Page 63824]]
Steve Jann, EPA Region 5.. 312-886-2446 77 West Jackson Blvd.,
Chicago, IL 60604.
Fort Worth, TX......................... Brad Lamb, EPA Region 6... 214-665-6683 1445 Ross Ave., Dallas,
TX 75202.
John Burt, USDA-NRCS...... 254-742-9800 W.R. Poage Building, 101
South Main Street,
Temple, TX 76501-7682.
Denver, CO............................. Mike Reed, EPA Region 8... 303-312-6132 One Denver Place, 999
18th St., Denver, CO
80202-2413.
Steve Black, USDA-NRCS.... 313-236-2886 655 Parfet Street, Room
x202 E200C, Lakewood, CO
80215-5517.
Annapolis, MD.......................... Joe Piotrowski, EPA Region 215-814-2310 1650 Arch St.,
3. Philadelphia, PA 10103.
Dave Doss, USDA-NRCS...... 410-757-0861 John Hanson Business
x314 Center, 339 Busch's
Frontage Road, Suite
301, Annapolis, MD 21401-
5534.
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SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Over the past quarter century, the United
States has made tremendous progress in cleaning up its rivers, lakes,
and coastal waters. While pollution from factories and sewage treatment
plants has been dramatically reduced, runoff from city streets,
agricultural activities (including animal feeding operations), and
other sources continues to degrade the environment and puts drinking
water at risk.
In February 1998, President Clinton released the Clean Water Action
Plan (CWAP), which provides a blueprint for restoring and protecting
water quality across the Nation. The CWAP identifies polluted runoff as
the most important remaining source of water pollution and provides for
a coordinated effort to reduce polluted runoff from a variety of
sources. As part of this effort, the CWAP calls for USDA and EPA to
develop a Unified National Strategy to minimize the water quality and
public health impacts of animal feeding operations (AFOs).
The draft Unified National Strategy for AFOs discusses the
relationships between AFOs and environmental and public health, and
establishes a national performance expectation for all AFO owners and
operators. The strategy presents a series of actions that USDA and EPA
will take to minimize public health impacts and improve water quality
while complementing the long-term sustainability of livestock
production.
Background
AFOs are agricultural enterprises where animals are kept and raised
in confined situations. Approximately 450,000 AFOs in the United States
congregate animals, feed, manure and urine, dead animals, and
production operations on a small land area. USDA data indicate that the
vast majority of farms with livestock are small; about 85 percent of
these farms have fewer than 250 animal units. About 6,600 AFOs had more
than 1,000 animal units in 1992 and are considered to be large
operations.
In the past several decades, domestic and export market forces,
technological changes, and industry adaptations have led to substantial
changes in the animal production industry. These factors have promoted
expansion of confined production units, with growth in both existing
areas and new areas; integration and concentration of some of the
industries; geographic separation of animal production and feed
production operations; and the concentration of large quantities of
manure and wastewater on farms and in some watersheds.
AFOs can pose a number of risks to water quality and public health,
mainly because of the amount of animal manure and wastewater they
generate. Manure and wastewater from AFOs have the potential to
contribute pollutants, such as nutrients (e.g., nitrogen, phosphorus),
sediment, pathogens, heavy metals, hormones, antibiotics, and ammonia
to the environment. These pollutants can cause several types of water
quality and public health impacts.
Even though many diverse sources contribute to water pollution,
States report that agriculture is the most widespread source of
pollution in the Nation's surveyed rivers. In the 22 states that
categorized impacts from specific types of agriculture, animal
operations impact about 35,000 river miles of those miles assessed.
While there are other potential environmental impacts associated with
AFOs (e.g., odor, habitat loss, ground water depletion), this strategy
focuses on addressing surface and ground water quality problems. Once
implemented, however, this strategy will indirectly benefit other
resources.
USDA and EPA's National Performance Expectation
To minimize water quality and public health impacts from AFOs and
land application of animal waste, this draft Unified National Strategy
for AFOs establishes a national performance expectation that all AFO
owners and operators develop and implement technically sound and
economically feasible Comprehensive Nutrient Management Plans (CNMPs).
A CNMP identifies actions that will be implemented to meet clearly-
defined nutrient management goals at an agricultural operation. The
following types of actions are contained in a CNMP:
Feed Management--Where possible, animal diets and feed should be
modified to reduce the amounts of nutrients in manure.
Manure Handling and Storage--Manure needs to be handled and stored
properly to prevent water pollution from AFOs.
Land Application of Manure--Land application is the most common,
and usually most desirable, method of utilizing manure because of the
value of the nutrients and organic matter. Land application in
accordance with the CNMP should minimize water quality and public
health risk.
Land Management--Tillage, crop residue management, grazing
management, and other conservation practices should be used to minimize
movement to surface and ground water of soil, organic materials,
nutrients, and pathogens from lands where manure is applied.
Record Keeping--AFO operators should keep records that indicate the
quantity of manure produced and ultimate utilization, including where,
when, and in what amounts nutrients were applied.
Other Utilization Options--In vulnerable watersheds, where the
potential for environmentally sound land application is limited,
alternative uses of manure, such as the sale of manure to other
farmers, composting and sale of compost to home owners,
[[Page 63825]]
and using manure for power generation, may need to be considered.
AFO owners and operators may seek technical assistance for the
development and implementation of CNMPs from qualified specialists.
These specialists should assist in implementation and provide ongoing
assistance through periodic reviews and revisions of CNMPs, as
appropriate.
Relationship of Voluntary and Regulatory Programs
Voluntary and regulatory programs serve complementary roles in
providing AFO owners and operators and the animal agricultural industry
with the assistance and certainty they need to achieve individual
business and personal goals, and in ensuring protection of water
quality and public health.
Voluntary Program for Most AFOs
Voluntary programs provide an enormous opportunity to help AFO
owners and operators and communities address water quality and public
health concerns surrounding AFOs. For the vast majority of AFOs,
voluntary efforts will be the principal approach to assist owners and
operators in developing and implementing CNMPs, and in reducing water
pollution and public health risks associated with AFOs. While CNMPs are
not required for AFOs participating in voluntary programs, they are
strongly encouraged as the best possible means of managing potential
water quality and public health impacts from these operations.
There are three types of voluntary programs to assist AFO owners
and operators. USDA and EPA are both committed to promoting locally led
conservation as one of the most effective ways to help AFO owners and
operators achieve their conservation goals. Environmental education can
bring an awareness of possible water quality problems and inform AFO
owners and operators about practices that will address such problems. A
variety of financial and technical assistance programs exist to provide
AFO owners and operators advice in developing CNMPs and implementing
solutions and to defray the costs of approved/needed structures (e.g.,
waste storage facilities for small operations) or to implement other
practices, such as installation of conservation buffers to protect
water quality.
Regulatory Program for Some AFOs
Impacts from certain higher risk AFOs are addressed through
National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permits under
the authority of the Clean Water Act. AFOs that meet certain specified
criteria in the NPDES regulations are referred to as concentrated
animal feeding operations or CAFOs.
NPDES permits will require CAFOs to develop CNMPs and to meet other
conditions that minimize the threat to water quality and public health
and otherwise ensure compliance with the requirements of the Clean
Water Act. NPDES permits will also ensure that the animal waste from
CAFOs will be disposed of properly and require reporting on whether the
permittee has a CNMP for land application of animal waste and whether
it is being implemented properly. The draft strategy identifies three
categories of CAFOs that are priorities for the regulatory program:
Significant Manure Production--Large facilities (those with greater
than 1,000 animal units) produce quantities of manure that are a risk
to water quality and public health whether the facilities are well
managed or not.
Unacceptable Conditions--Facilities that have constructed
conveyances that discharge animal waste to waters or have a direct
discharge to waters that pass through the facility or come into direct
contact with animals represent a significant risk to water quality and
public health.
Significant Contributors to Water Quality Impairment--A facility or
a collection of facilities that is significantly contributing to, or is
likely to significantly contribute to, impairment of a waterbody and
nonattainment of a designated use is also a priority for the NPDES
permitting program.
The draft strategy supplements these regulatory program priorities
with two types of incentives for some types of AFOs. Smaller CAFOs that
meet certain conditions may exit the regulatory program at the end of
their permit term if they correct the problem(s) that caused them to be
covered by the regulatory program. The draft strategy also describes a
``good faith incentive'' for some AFOs to avoid being covered by the
regulatory program if they have and are implementing a CNMP.
Strategic Issues
The draft Unified National Strategy for AFOs addresses seven
strategic issues. The discussion of each strategic issue identifies
several action items.
Building Capacity for CNMP Development and Implementation--The
successful implementation of this strategy depends on the availability
of qualified specialists from either the private or public sector to
assist in the development and implementation of CNMPs. The draft
strategy describes actions to substantially increase AFO owners and
operators' access to technical assistance for developing and
implementing CNMPs.
Accelerating Voluntary, Incentive-Based Programs--The draft
strategy sets out a desired outcome that all AFOs will have CNMPs by
2008. Several actions, including review and revision of USDA's practice
standards, development of CNMP guidance, fair and equitable program
delivery, and options for financial assistance, are directed toward
achieving this objective.
Implementing and Improving the Existing Regulatory Program--The
draft strategy clarifies the applicability and the requirements of the
existing regulatory program, identifies permitting and enforcement
priorities, and describes EPA's plans to strengthen and improve
existing regulations.
Coordinated Research, Technical Innovation, Compliance Assistance,
and Technology Transfer--USDA and EPA will establish coordinated
research, technical innovation, technology transfer, and compliance
assistance activities, and establish a single point information center.
Encouraging Industry Leadership--The animal agriculture industry
can play a key role in helping to encourage adoption of CNMPs and in
addressing water quality problems on individual AFOs. The draft
strategy includes possible actions that USDA and EPA may take to
promote industry involvement.
Data Coordination--Several kinds of data are useful in assessing
and managing the water quality impacts of AFOs. USDA and EPA's efforts
to coordinate on data sharing will both protect the trust relationship
between USDA and farmers and provide regulatory authorities with
information that is useful in protecting water quality and public
health.
Performance Measures and Accountability--USDA and EPA believe that
it is critical to establish performance measures to gauge success in
implementing this draft strategy and meeting relevant goals in each
agency's strategic plan established under the Government Performance
and Results Act. USDA and EPA will develop an approach for measuring
the effectiveness of efforts to minimize the water quality and public
health impacts of AFOs.
Next Steps
USDA and EPA published the draft Unified National Strategy for AFOs
in the Federal Register for public review
[[Page 63826]]
on September 21, 1998. The draft strategy is also available on the
World Wide Web at http://www.nrcs.usda.gov or http://www.epa.gov/owm/
afostrat.htm.
USDA and EPA welcome your comments on the draft Unified National
Strategy for AFOs. Comments are due by January 19, 1999.
Dated: November 9, 1998.
Glenda Humiston,
Deputy Under Secretary, Natural Resources and the Environment,
Department of Agriculture, Washington, DC.
J. Charles Fox,
Assistant Administrator for Water, Environmental Protection Agency,
Washington, DC.
[FR Doc. 98-30666 Filed 11-16-98; 8:45 am]
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