Winter 2001
Registration deadline approaching for Iowa Plan for Open Feedlots
by Karen Grimes, Iowa Department of Natural Resources
Registration
for the Iowa open feedlot program exceeded 1,000 producers on November
1, an unprecedented response for a voluntary, cooperative program designed
to help producers bring their lots into environmental compliance. However,
the window of opportunity closes at year’s end for producers who want
to register their open feedlots with the Department of Natural Resources
(DNR). After December 31, 2001, open feedlots cannot qualify for the Iowa
Plan for Open Feedlots, a program that gives them extra time to design
and complete a compliance plan.
Registration is important for larger lots, especially those with more than 1,000 animal units, and some mid-sized lots that need a federal permit. Mid-sized lots with 200 head of dairy cattle or 300 head of beef cattle could need a permit if they discharge directly into a stream. Under federal regulations, the lots that need a permit also need a runoff control basin. All lots, regardless of size, need a solids settling system. Whether the open feedlot size is large or small, it pays to talk to DNR staff before constructing any manure control structure to be sure that the structure meets current environmental requirements.
Registering before December 31, 2001, will buy time for producers who need to have a permit, allowing them to plan their system and construct it without a penalty from the DNR for not having a permit. Other benefits of registering for the program include the following:
- limited immunity from DNR penalties for some water quality violations,
- freedom from inspections from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) during the remainder of 2001, and
- freedom from DNR routine inspections in 2001.
The
three-part plan includes voluntary registration by producers, an in-house
environmental assessment by the DNR followed by an on-site evaluation
to determine environmental priorities, and producer compliance with current
regulations. To date, 222 in-house environmental assessments and 11 on-site
evaluations have been completed.
The Iowa Plan for Open Feedlots was developed to respond to the EPA’s criticism of the DNR’s permitting and enforcement efforts. The EPA reviewed state programs and inspected open feedlots in the four-state EPA Region VII of Iowa, Nebraska, Kansas, and Missouri last year. The EPA’s data show that Iowa has issued permits for less than 10 percent of the 310 open feedlots that need a National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System permit.
If you have questions about the Iowa Plan for Open Feedlots, please call Wayne Gieselman at 515-281-5817, Barb Lynch or Ken Hessenius at 712-262-4177, or me at 515-281-5135. For more information about the Iowa Plan for Open Feedlots visit http://extension.agron.iastate.edu/immag/openfeedlot/plan.html on the IMMAG Web site.
