ISU Extension News

Extension Communications
3614 Administrative Services Building
Ames, Iowa 50011-3614
(515) 294-9915

5/11/01

Contacts:
John Lawrence, Iowa Beef Center, 515-294-6290, jdlaw@iastate.edu
Carol Balvanz, Iowa Cattlemen's Association, 515-296-2266, carol@iabeef.org
David Petty, Iowa Cattlemen's Association, 641-486-2220
Wayne Gieselman, Iowa Department of Natural Resources, 515-281-5817, wayne.gieselman@dnr.state.ia.us
Angela Rieck-Hinz, Iowa Manure Management Action Group, 515-294-9590, amrieck@iastate.edu

Iowa Feedlot Plan Raising Awareness of Regulation Differences

AMES, Iowa -- As Iowa's open feedlot operators move closer to regulatory compliance, still more questions arise, especially concerning the differences between proposed and current rules changes.

"There's been some confusion between requirements for current regulations and future Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) proposals," said Carol Balvanz, vice president of public policy for the Iowa Cattlemen's Association. "Producers should keep in mind that compliance with current regulations is the overriding issue here; secondly, cattlemen statewide will be affected by the rules EPA recently proposed. They should become familiar with these proposals and make comments where necessary."

Proposed AFO/CAFO Rules
In the 1990s, EPA came under fire from citizen and environmental groups for not adequately reviewing and updating Clean Water Act regulations. The groups filed a lawsuit in federal court and won, forcing EPA to take action.

In light of the federal mandate, EPA proposed several changes to rules governing animal feeding operations (AFOs) and concentrated animal feeding operations (CAFOs). The proposals are outlined in the Federal Register and can be located at http://www.epa.gov/owm/afo.htm.

These proposals are in a comment period that lasts until July 30. At the conclusion of the comment period, all comments submitted to EPA will be reviewed, the proposed rules re-evaluated and the final rules issued along with an implementation schedule.

"The new regulations cannot and will not take effect until the comment period ends, comments are taken under advisement and changes are made," Balvanz said. "That is why it is imperative that producers review the proposed regulations and comment to EPA on the areas where they are lacking."

A Guide for Preparing Comments Regarding EPA's Proposed Rules for Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations (CAFOs), developed by Iowa State University's College of Agriculture and ISU Extension, was written to assist producers and others who wish to submit comments to EPA.

"The Guide was developed to help producers prepare their own comments on the proposed CAFO rules," said John Lawrence, director of the Iowa Beef Center and a collaborator on the project. "The topics identified highlight major provisions of the proposed rules. But, this document was designed only as a guide, not to provide specific comments on the proposal."

The Guide is posted on the IMMAG Web site at http://extension.agron.iastate.edu/immag/NewsFR.html. Links to this document also are available on the Iowa Beef Center (http://www.iowabeefcenter.org) and Iowa Pork Industry Center (https://www.extension.iastate.edu/ipic/) Web pages. The deadline for submission of comments is July 30.

Current Open Feedlot Regulations
"We think it is very important to emphasize that the current regulations are quite different from the changes EPA recently proposed," said Wayne Gieselman, Iowa Department of Natural Resources Animal Feeding Operations unit coordinator. "The current regulations have been in existence since the Clean Water Act of 1972 while the changes to these rules were proposed just last year. And, the rules EPA proposed will not take effect (if approved) until at least 2003, if not later."

The environmental regulations Iowa open feedlots currently operate under were drafted in 1972 as part of the Clean Water Act. The only revision occurred in1987. The Iowa DNR did not actively enforce the regulations and EPA recently mandated increased enforcement at the state level.

In response to this push, the Iowa DNR, Iowa Cattlemen's Association and Iowa Beef Center collaborated to develop the Iowa Plan for Open Feedlots, an agreement to help all open feedlot operators come into compliance with current standards.

"The member groups of the Iowa Plan for Open Feedlots cannot stress enough that the registration process we're asking producers to participate in is for current Iowa regulations," said Lawrence. "Any changes to the rules will happen years down the road; producers are strongly advised to register with the DNR to begin the process of complying with today's rules first and receive limited amnesty from EPA site inspections."

For more information, or to obtain a registration form, please visit the Iowa Plan for Open Feedlots web site at http://extension.agron.iastate.edu/immag/openfeedlot/plan.html; contact the Iowa Cattlemen's Association at 515-296-2266; call the Iowa DNR at 515-281-8941; or get in touch with your area Iowa State University Extension livestock field specialist.

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