Feedlot Update - April 11, 2012

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Feedlot Update


April 11, 2012


Feedlot factoid

What is the NPDES annual report due date?

Answer appears in one of the articles below, and following the Calendar


Regional training for county staff set in May

County staff can choose among four locations for day-long training events in May. Topics will include legislative update, program requirements, lab practices, permit processing, Delta database, and using the CFO Toolbox web-based manual. Locations and dates are May 9-MPCA Brainerd office, May 10-MPCA Detroit Lakes office, May 16-Owatonna Pizza Ranch, and May 17-Redwood Falls Pizza Ranch. About 100 staff among 55 delegated counties work in the feedlot program, except for NPDES permits. Training for new county feedlot staff is being planned for some time in August. Training also occurs at the annual meeting of the Minnesota Association of County Feedlot Officers, which this year will be held in Willmar Oct. 16-18.

Staff news

Interviews continue for several MPCA feedlot staff vacancies. Jessica Moore recently joined the team in the Brainerd office, transferring from the agency's biological monitoring unit. Other vacancies remain in Detroit Lakes, Willmar-Marshall, Mankato-Rochester, and St. Paul. In the St. Paul office, Hafiz Munir will be working in the program as an engineer,  transferring from the watershed technical team. Claudia Beccera is the new administrative support staff in the Willmar office.

MPCA feedlot staff meeting April 24-25

The MPCA feedlot staff will be meeting April 24-25 in Sauk Centre. Agenda items include: Review of compliance and enforcement activities, program work plan, inspection timeliness, and tour of the DHIA lab in Sauk Centre.
Claudia Beccera

Former Excel Dairy property sold

The former Excel Dairy property near Thief River Falls reportedly has been sold in two parcels to different buyers. On the portion of the property where the dairy was located, the buildings will be used for a railroad construction business as a center for repair work and equipment storage. For several years Excel Dairy became the focus of considerable legal and regulatory activity stemming from odor issues and permit violations involving air quality and manure management. After failing repeatedly to meet permit requirements, the MPCA citizens' board voted to prohibit the dairy from operating after its previous permit expired in 2010: March 12, 2010 order.

Majority of NPDES annual reports received by due date

As of the end of March, annual reports have been received from about 1,000 livestock farms operating with National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System permits. Many reports were received by the March 1 due date. Fewer than 200 farms have not yet submitted annual reports. New this year, in addition to animal numbers and other basic information, the reports call for manure records from the previous cropping year. Farms that have not yet submitted their report should do so immediately in order to return to compliance with their permits. A link to report forms and locations for submittal can be found on the MPCA feedlot program main webpage, or link directly to form.

LPE Learning Center News

The May 18 Livestock and Poultry Environmental Learning Center webcast will take a look at nitrates in groundwater by presenting a series of regional perspectives on the topic. Some of the issues presented will include CAFOs and manure storage structures, storm events, and state regulatory limits on manure application. A flyer will be posted soon on the Extension Upcoming Webcasts page. 

Air Quality Publications. New fact sheets are now available on Atmospheric Ammonia | Diet & Feed Management. These materials were developed by the Air Quality Education in Animal Agriculture project which is publishing curriculum materials for classroom and extension educators.

Nutrient Pollution. The US Environmental Protection Agency has unveiled a new website focused around the issues of nutrient pollution. While much of this website is written for the general public, many of our readers might be interested in some of the collection of information under "technical resources". More... 

Water and Soil. The USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service recently published a video showing how water moves through different types of soil structures. This nice visual could be useful to educators conducting programs or classes on nutrient management. More...

State Program Highlights
  • Michigan: Natalie Rector says "Check the list twice on manure management" to get the most from your crops More...
  • Illinois: Livestock manager training program turns 15 years old More...
  • Oklahoma: The March issue of "Poultry Practices" tackles questions on E. coli transport after poultry litter application, hormones, and weed seeds in litter More...
  • Wisconsin: Extension specialist Becky Larson discusses modern manure management and digesters in Wisconsin (audio interview) More...
  • Ohio: Extension specialist Glen Arnold talks about the benefits of using manure as a nutrient source in your cropping system (audio interview) More...
LPE News logo

In the news

MPCA news release, 4/6/12
MPR, 4/6/12
Agri-News, 4/5/12
Rochester Post-Bulletin, 3/22/12

Calendar

April 20-22: Minnesota Buffalo Association 19th annual educational conference, Prairie's Edge Casino Resort, Granite Falls.
April 24-25: MPCA feedlot staff, Sauk Centre.
Oct. 16-18: Minnesota Association of County Feedlot Offices annual convention, Willmar.

Factoid answer

March 1

Share your news

The MPCA Feedlot Update welcomes news submissions from partners about, projects, people, and upcoming events. Email submissions to forrest.peterson@state.mn.us. Please note that the MPCA has switched to a new service, called GovDelivery, to deliver the Feedlot Update. To ensure delivery of these messages, please add mpca@public.govdelivery.com to your address book or safe sender list.