We all want clean water, good fishing and prosperous farms. An important step towards achieving these goals by reducing manure spills and contamination was completed in March, 2007. Changes to rules governing manure management on the state’s 160 largest farms go on the books this spring and are expected to help safeguard drinking water, protect good fishing and level the playing field for farms that have already adopted the protective manure management practice the rules require. Revisions to administrative rule NR 243 will require all very large farms - those producing as much animal waste in one day as a city of 18,000 people - to meet the same standards, helping keep manure from contaminating private wells, lakes and rivers while sustaining public support for farming.
NR 243 is a water quality protection rule which has been in effect since the 1980s. The revisions to NR 243 were necessary to comply with changes to federal regulations for Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations (CAFOs) and to improve consistency in implementing the DNR’s water quality permitting program for CAFOs. After extensive public review and comment, approval from the Natural Resources Board, and review by the state’s Senate and Assembly agricultural committees, proposed revisions to the rule have now become final and will be promulgated this spring.
NR 243 addresses water quality impacts associated with CAFOs. Most CAFOs in Wisconsin are large operations —those that have 1000 animal units of livestock (the equivalent of 700 milking cows, 1000 beef cattle, 2500 mature pigs, or 55,000 turkeys). Medium (300 to 999 animal units) and small (fewer than 300 animal units) animal feeding operations may also be designated as CAFOs if they have discharges to navigable waters or contaminate a well. The DNR requires that CAFOs are covered under a Wisconsin Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (WPDES) permit to protect water quality from potential improper handling practices of manure and process wastewater (e.g., milking center wastes, egg-wash water). The major revisions to NR 243 affecting these operations include:
- Restrictions on applying solid and liquid manure on frozen or snow-covered ground
- Requirements for large CAFOs to have six months worth of storage for liquid manure
- Statewide phosphorus-based nutrient management requirements
- Provisions for issuing general permits to groups of CAFOs in lieu of individual permits
- Adjustments to animal unit equivalency numbers, which are used to calculate which farms are large enough to need a permit
- Restrictions on spreading manure and process wastewater near waterbodies
- Allowances for temporary manure stacking in winter
- Revised inspection, monitoring and reporting requirements
Dozens of people around the state contributed to this effort. A technical advisory committee provided policy and technical input during the revision process; this group included representatives from agricultural associations (Farm Bureau, Dairy Business Association, Professional Dairy Producers of WI, WI Pork Producers Association, WI Egg Producers, individual farmers and agronomists), environmental organizations (River Alliance of WI, Environmental Defense, Midwest Environmental Advocates), and local, state and federal agencies (NRCS, DATCP, EPA, UW-Extension, county representatives). Citizens took time off from their work and their families to testify at public hearings and provide comment on the rule. DNR’s runoff management staff, led by Tom Bauman and Gordon Stevenson, were critical to this process—the team included Mark Cain, Dave Bougie, Bryan Ellefson, Ted Johnson, Duane Popple, Robin Nyffeler, Terry Donovan, and Kristi Minahan. Several other internal staff and managers were also key in presenting this message to the public and the legislative committees. To learn more about the revised rules, visit the DNR’s website at http://dnr.wi.gov/org/water/wm/nps/rules/nr243/nr243.htm, or contact Tom Bauman if you have specific questions (608-266-9993).
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