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Summary

Comprehensive Nutrient Management Plans are required for all Confined Animal Feeding Operations with over 300 animal units. Plans have been developed to improve water quality and decrease animal waste discharges.

Situation

Congress passed the Clean Water Act in 1972 (amended in 1977) to “restore and maintain the chemical, physical, and biological integrity of the nation's waters.” In response to the Clean Water Act the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Environmental Protection Division (EPD) of the Georgia Department of Agriculture have developed guidelines for Confined Animal Feeding Operations (CAFO's). A CAFO with 1001 to 3000 Animal Units was required to register on a Federal National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System Form by October 2001, submit a Comprehensive Nutrient Management Plan (CNMP) by October 31, 2002, and implement CNMP's by October 31, 2003. A CAFO with 301 to 1000 Animal Units was required to register as a Land Application System (LAS) with Georgia EPD by October 2001, submit a CNMP by October 31, 2002, and implement CNMP's by October 31,2003. In Morgan County, 10 of the 36 dairies met the criteria and were required to submit a Comprehensive Nutrient Management Plan. In December 2002 (published in the Federal Register in February 2003) EPA revised CAFO requirements from just wet litter systems on poultry farms to include dry litter systems. This increased the number of CAFO's in Georgia since Georgia is the second largest state in poultry production and thus increased the number of CNMP's to be developed and submitted.

Response

Agent attended the first Certified Nutrient Management Planning Specialist Training in November 2000 to learn how to prepare a Certified Nutrient Management Plan. Agent also attended the first Certified Operator Training in Tifton, to have a better understanding of what was being required of certified operators. After attending the first Certified Operator Training, agent was asked to help instruct at the next four Certified Operator Trainings. Agent taught the Nutrient Budgeting portion of the statewide Certified Operator Trainings in February 2002, August 2002, April 2003, and April 2004. Agent developed plans for the 10 dairies required to be certified in Morgan County as well as helping 7 other County Agents prepare CNMP's for their dairymen. These plans were very time consuming and required 30 to 40 hours per plan to complete. Independent planning specialists were charging $2000 to $15,000 to help dairyman complete their Comprehensive Plans. In 2003, agent revised 5 of the 8 plans submitted in October 2002 and the Georgia Department of Agriculture has approved those plans. In 2004, Agent revised the other 3 plans submitted and those plans have since been approved. In August 2003, Agent attended and learned how to develop CNMP's for Poultry Farms in Carrollton, GA. Agent held Certified Operator Training's for dairymen in Morgan and Greene Counties in 2003 to show dairymen the new Georgia Department of Agriculture CAFO Inspection form, familiarize them with the required elements of the inspection, show what records they need to maintain, and provide them with record keeping tools. These programs also allowed dairymen to get two of the five continuing education credits needed every two years to maintain certified status. In January 2004, Agent held a 2 hour Certified Operators Training in Putnam County to cover these same topics and allow for continuing education credits for more dairymen. In March 2004, Agent helped organize, plan and teach “Litter Spreader Truck Calibration Training”, an agent training held at the Central Branch Experiment Station in Eatonton. This program taught other County Agents how to calculate litter truck distribution amounts and patterns. In April 2005, Agent taught “Nutrient Budgeting” at Statewide Animal Waste System Operator Certification in Macon. In June 2005, Agent taught an area Workshop on “Completing an EPA-NPDES Form 2B” for Poultry producers. In September 2005, Agent completed a CNMP from the only remaining CAFO in Morgan County without a plan. Agent also completed a plan for a dairy in an adjoining county in July 2005. In April 2007 agent again taught “Nutrient Budgeting” at Statewide Nutrient Management Specialist Certification in Macon. In May 2007 agent again taught “Nutrient Budgeting” at Statewide Animal Waste System Operator Certification in Macon. Agent also assisted in updating 2 CNMP's for area dairymen in 2007. In September and October 2007 Agent served as lead agent for Environmental Management Systems Conservation Initiative Grant working with area dairymen and Mark Risse (Extension Water Quality Coordinator) to access potential for the program and its use in a dairy situation.

Impact

Agent was able to save twelve local dairymen (Morgan, Putnam, and Jasper Counties) over $24,000 in planning cost, along with utilizing 70,294 pounds of Nitrogen and 59,213 pounds of Phosphorus per year with on farm applications. The savings in Nitrogen fertilizer cost alone would be over $52,849 per year by utilizing these nutrients available from the manure. Six local dairymen commented that they were very thankful that the agent had the expertise to do these plans because they would have not know how to begin to prepare one by themselves and a planning specialist would have been too expensive. Research has shown that the main contributor for eutrophication of streams and lakes is Phosphorus. By proper field application and utilization: the amount of Phosphorus available for runoff is reduced, streams and lakes don't receive excess amounts of Phosphorus, and growth of algae and aquatic weeds is reduced. Less Nitrogen in the runoff leads to less opportunity for fish kills by ammonia-N and fewer incidence of Blue baby syndrome by reducing Nitrate-N available for leaching into the groundwater. CNMP's are developed to utilize nutrients more efficiently and thus lead to less nutrient run off in our groundwater, streams and lakes.

State Issue

Conservation & Management of Natural Resources

Details

  • Year: 2007
  • Geographic Scope: Multi-County
  • County: Morgan
  • Program Areas:
    • Agriculture & Natural Resources

Author

  • Smith, Robert C.

Collaborator(s)

CAES Collaborator(s)

  • Risse, L. Mark
  • Worley, John W.
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