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Department of Ecology Press Release - October 19, 2005
05-256
OLYMPIA - A series of hearings beginning in November will outline what some animal feeding operations must do to protect water quality under a new general permit being proposed by the Washington Department of Ecology (Ecology).
The permit would require concentrated animal-feeding operations (CAFOs) - such as cattle feedlots, dairies, and poultry or pig producers - to manage manure to avoid polluting rivers, lakes and underground aquifers. Under the new permit, animal feeding operations that discharge pollutants such as manure will be required to obtain a permit, as well as smaller operations that are found to be significant contributors of pollution.
Under new federal rules, permitted animal producers are required to develop and implement plans for managing manure and to submit reports annually to the state. Operators must show they have an adequate amount of storage for manure, must keep animals out of surface water, and must ensure manure used as fertilizer is applied appropriately to avoid pollution.
The CAFO permit will replace the dairy general permit that expired in March 2005. Ecology proposed a first draft in December 2004 and held hearings in January 2005. In February 2005, a court decision affected the federal CAFO rule. Ecology has revised and reissued the draft permit to reflect changes from the court decision and first comment period. The draft permit is available at http://www.ecy.wa.gov/programs/wq/permits/cafo/index.html .
Workshops will begin at 7 p.m., followed by a formal public hearing when both written and oral comments on the draft permit will be accepted. Sessions are as follows:
Written comments on the permit will be accepted until 5 p.m. Dec. 5, 2005, and may be submitted by e-mail to khan461@ecy.wa.gov by fax to at (360) 407-6426, or mailed to Kevin Hancock, Department of Ecology, P.O. Box 47600, Olympia, Wash., 98504-7600.
For more information, call Kevin Hancock at (360) 407-6283.
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Media contact: Glenn Kuper, public information manager, (360) 407-6848; cell (360) 791-3177
CAFO permit Web site: http://www.ecy.wa.gov/programs/wq/permits/cafo/cafo_permit-documents.html
Copyright © Washington State Department of Ecology. See http://www.ecy.wa.gov/copyright.html.
