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New rules affect IN livestock, poultry producers

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
A concentrated animal feeding operation (CAFO).

While Indiana livestock and poultry producers are concerned with the hot weather, many might have winter on their minds.

Rules that just took effect prohibit most large-scale operators from spreading animal manure on frozen or snow-covered fields.

Tamilee Nennich is a nutrient management specialist with Purdue Extension. She says producers should be prepared to store manure longer.

"There are some exceptions, like if there's an emergency situation where we have a lot of rainfall and it would be difficult to store that manure. They can put it on their field under special circumstances."

New rules also require concentrated animal feeding operations (CAFOs) to have a special permit to keep that classification or be governed by rules for confined feeding operations (CFOs).

Nennich says federal rules were going to eliminate oversight of some CAFOs.

"All those CAFOs that would no longer need a permit under national rules will now be under the CFO program. So, one reason the rules were put in place is to make sure CAFOs have some level of regulation."

And the phosphorus level of producers’ fields now will dictate if they can spread manure there, or haul the waste elsewhere. Nennich says that will be a long-term added cost for some producers.

"Phosphorus is not something that changes very fast. It actually changes quite slowly. So, it's going to, in some cases, take years to change those levels."

She says the changes are designed to better protect ground water supplies.

You can find more CAFO and CFO information HERE.