Feedlot Update - Sept. 4, 2013

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Feedlot Update

Sept. 4, 2013


Public hearing Sept. 9 on proposed amendments to 7020 feedlot rule

At the close of a public review and comment period on the proposed amendments to the feedlot rules (Chapter 7020), which ended Aug. 26, the MPCA received more than 25 valid requests for the public hearing to be held. Therefore, as indicated in the Dual Notice, the hearing scheduled for Monday, Sept. 9, 2013, will be convened at 2 p.m., and will continue until all parties are heard that afternoon, and it will resume at 7 p.m. that evening. Administrative Law Judge Ann O’Reilly will be conducting the hearing. It will originate from the MPCA St. Paul office, with live, interactive video links to regional offices in Rochester, Mankato, Marshall, Willmar, Brainerd, and Detroit Lakes. During the hearing, interested parties will be able to present their views on the proposed rule amendments.

Of the 75 comment letters received by the MPCA, eleven contained specific comments regarding the proposed amendments (received from: Minnesota Pork Producers Association, Minnesota State Cattlemen’s Association, Minnesota Agri-Growth Council, Minnesota Turkey Growers Association, Chicken & Egg Association of Minnesota, Minnesota Farm Bureau, Minnesota Milk Producers Association, Minnesota Center for Environmental Advocacy, Land Stewardship Project, Socially Responsible Agricultural Project, and American Planning Association Minnesota Chapter).

The proposed amendments, Statement of Need and Reasonableness, and other information are available on the Feedlot Rulemaking webpage. Location information for MPCA regional offices is available on the MPCA Offices webpage.

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Re-registration under way for state's 22,000 feedlots

Owners of an estimated 22,000 livestock feedlots registered in Minnesota must submit updated registration information to the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) by Jan. 1, 2014. The information includes location, type of operation, and number of livestock. The state’s feedlot rule requires all feedlot registrations to be updated at least once in a four-year cycle. The current four-year cycle runs from Jan. 2, 2010, to Jan. 1, 2014. Records show that approximately 13,500 feedlot owners have already re-registered for the current cycle. Feedlot owners who have not already re-registered will receive a registration form from either their local county office or an MPCA regional office. The feedlot owner must review the information on the form, make any needed corrections, and return the form to the appropriate office. More information and the Registration Form for Feedlots and Manure Storage Areas are available on the MPCA’s Feedlot Permit Information and Application Forms webpage or from county or MPCA regional offices.

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Red and White dairy cattle showcased at State Fair

red and white dairy

This year's Showcase Breed at the Minnesota State Fair is the Red and White Dairy Cattle. Virginia Westlie, Goodhue County feedlot officer and member of the Minnesota chapter of the Red and White Dairy Cattle Association, is working the entire 12-day event with the showcase herd of 16 Red and Whites. "Each year the state fair asks for a particular breed to be showcased at the Moo Booth in the dairy barn, and this year it's the Red and White," Virginia says. "The breed can be any red and white cattle. Some are Ayrshires, or Milking Shorthorns. Some can be Holsteins." The State Fair herd is composed of 10 cows from Irish Ridge Dairy near Millville, two from Square Deal Dairy near Randolph, and four from Manannah Valley Dairy near Eden Valley. With the temperatures in the 90s and high dew points, "the heat has been a factor," Virginia says. "We have the barn fans going and are using misters to try keep them cool." For more information about the breed, see the Red and White Dairy Cattle Association website.

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Feedlot program news briefs

August meetings describe feedlot permits, application process

A series of meetings around the state during August provided livestock producers and county officials with information about the permitting process. Focusing on state and federal permits for larger feedlots, presentations described permit thresholds, kinds of permits, and tips for completing a permit application. In Minnesota, approximately 1,300 large feedlots are covered by an National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System/State Disposal System permit, which includes both federal and state requirements. The August meetings were organized in cooperation with the Minnesota State Cattlemen's Association.

An SDS permit is under development for feedlots not required to have a federal NPDES permit, but contain equal to or greater than 1,000 animal units or that store manure from 1,000 or more AUs. The SDS permit will be issued on a 10 year cycle. When applying for the SDS permit, the following plans must be submitted: Manure management plan, air emissions plan, emergency response plan, etc. For information on feedlot permitting, visit the MPCA’s Feedlot Permit Information webpage. 

147 CAFO inspections in 2013 as of Aug. 7

As of Aug. 7, a total of 147 inspections have occurred at Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations, including 34 new sites (some not yet constructed). The goal to ensure that all CAFOs are inspected at least once every five years. Since Oct. 1, 2012, 248 CAFO inspections have been conducted. There are currently about 1,300 feedlots in Minnesota that meet the federal definition of a CAFO.

New web address for Blue Earth County

Michael Schulte of Blue Earth County reminds us that the county has changed its website address to www.blueearthcountymn.gov. Michael's new e-mail is michael.schulte@blueearthcountymn.gov

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Emphasis on efforts to expedite environmental review

Following up on information in the August newsletter about the Environmental Assessment Worksheet (EAW) process for feedlots, here are some data about recent environmental review activity in the feedlot program: 

  • For permit applications received between 3/1/12-12/31/12, five required an EAW. That is less than two percent of the feedlot permit applications received in that same period.
  • The average number of days to complete an environmental review for the five permit applications was 146 and the average number of days to permit issuance was 151 days.

The sooner an applicant can provide the information for the review, the faster a decision can be made. For greater efficiency, the program makes every effort to co-notice the EAW and permits.

An updated version of the factsheet, "When is environmental review required for feedlots?" (wq-f1-10) has been posted on the Feedlot Environmental Review webpage. It contains the change enacted by the legislature in 2011 about the petition process. A petition requesting an EAW must contain the signatures of at least 100 people and meet the criteria found in the Environmental Quality Board rules. These criteria require the petitioner to present a case based on environmental factors, for why a project should have an EAW prepared.

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Livestock and Poultry Environmental Learning Center

LPE News logo

The Livestock and Poultry Environmental Learning Center is not publishing an August newsletter. The next webcast will be on Phosphorus Bioavailability in Dairy Cattle on Sept. 20 at 2:30 p.m. (eastern) More…

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In the news

Cattlemen's Association seeking new director

Joe Martin has stepped down as executive director of the Minnesota State Cattlemen’s Association (MSCA) to take a position with Dupont Pioneer as communications manager for their Northern Business Unit. The search is now underway for a new executive director, with the goal of having one in place by the end of the year. In the meantime, Lynn Giess is interim director until Jan. 1.

MDA’s annual Greenbook highlights sustainable innovations in agriculture
News release, 8/23/13
Owners of 22,000 feedlots required to re-register by Jan. 1, 2014
News release, 8/20/13
Sparboe Farms EAW open for public comment
News release, 9/3/13

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Calendar

Sept. 8-11: National Barrow Show, Mower County Fairgrounds, Austin.
Sept. 9: Public hearing on proposed amendments to 7020 feedlot rule, 2 p.m., 7 p.m., MPCA offices.
Sept. 30-Oct. 1: Animal Science Conference,  MinnWest Technology Campus, Willmar.
Nov. 15-16: Minnesota Lamb and Wool Producers conference, Thumper Pond Resort, Otter Tail.
Nov. 29-30: Bison fall auction and fundamentals education, Albany.
Dec. 2-4: Midwest Dairy Expo, Rivers Edge Convention Center, St. Cloud Civic.
Dec. 12-14: Minnesota State Cattlemen's Association convention, Arrowwood, Alexandria.
Jan. 10-11, 2014: Minnesota Elk Breeders Association conference, Rivers Edge Convention Center, St. Cloud.
Jan. 14-15, 2014: Pork Congress, Minneapolis Convention Center.

University of Minnesota SROC centennial celebration
Thursday, Sept. 19, 3-8 p.m., 35838 120th Street, Waseca. Join the University of Minnesota in celebrating 100 years at the Southern Research Center in Waseca There will be booths and activities for interests of all kinds. The centennial program begins at 5 p.m. The picnic supper will be from 4:30-7 p.m. For more information contact Southern Research and Outreach Center at (507) 835-3620 or nelso191@tc.umn.edu  

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Share the news

The MPCA Feedlot Update welcomes news submissifrom partners about, projects, people, and upcoming events. Email submissito 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. Past issues of Feedlot Update are available on the feedlot program publications webpage.

Forrest Peterson
Public Information Officer
MPCA-Willmar office
320-441-6972