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EPA: NO FOLLOW-UP REPORT REQUIRED OF CAFO OPERATORS
MONTGOMERY, Ala. -- Large concentrated animal feeding operations (CAFOs) which reported the potential release of ammonia and hydrogen sulfide in January 2009 will not be required to report again in January 2010, according to the Environmental Protection Agency. Last year, CAFOs nationwide were required by EPA to report the potential release of ammonia and hydrogen sulfide by Jan. 20, 2009. The rule exempted smaller poultry and livestock operations, but required larger farms to file mandatory reports by first making phone calls to their state and local emergency response authorities, followed -- within 30 days -- by a written notification of the emission estimates and then report to update and verify those estimates one year later. Now, however, the EPA has ruled that the one-year update and verification report is not required. Farmers affected by the rule are those that have the potential to release 100 pounds of ammonia or hydrogen sulfide within any 24-hour period.
Also exempt from the rule are dairy farms with fewer than 700 mature cows; beef cattle operations with fewer than 1,000 head; pork producers with fewer than 2,500 swine of 55 pounds or more; poultry operations with fewer than 125,000 broilers; laying operations with fewer than 30,000 hens, if the farm uses a liquid manure handling; and laying operations of fewer than 82,000 hens, if the farm uses dry manure handling. For more information, call Bryce Covington, EPA Region 4's Chemical Emergency Preparedness and Prevention Coordinator, at (404) 562-9192 or Guy Hall, director of the Alabama Farmers Federation's Pork, Poultry & Dairy director, at (334) 612-5181.
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