ICNAA’s is excited to once again offer a FREE and unique recertification program for nutrient applicators. Rather than watch a three hour video for recertification, nutrient applicators will have the opportunity to participate in a LIVE workshop. Registration to the Iowa Pork Congress and lunch is FREE for ICNAA Members. Join ICNNA to strengthen our voice statewide.

Download Iowa Pork Congress Voucher

Agenda

10:00 – 10:05 a.m.    Welcome

10:05 – 10:40 a.m.    Jeff Prier, DNR – Rules & Regulations

10:40 – 11:20 a.m.    Kevin Klommhaus, IDALS – Dry Manure & Stockpiling Update

11:20 a.m. – Noon     Chris Bosswell, IDOT – Weight Restrictions

Noon – 1:20 p.m.       FREE Lunch – Sponsored by Houle

1:30 – 2:10 p.m.        Kapil Arora, ISU – Water Quality

2:10 – 2:40 p.m.        Mike Blaser – Rulings & Regulations Upate

2:40 – 3:00 p.m.        Round Table Discussion

Please join us at the World Pork Congress for our annual meeting and get your certification for 2012 at a live workshop.

Click here to learn more. To download an ICNAA Brochure, please click here.

Nationally recognized speakers from industry, academia, and regulatory bodies are again being lined up for the Certified Crop Advisers (CCA) workshops, the Grain and Feed Forum, and banquets.  Pesticide and manure applicators will once again be able to obtain re-certification at the Agribusiness Showcase & Conference.  Also, the very successful indoor field-day will be held again; allowing for CCAs to obtain continuing education units while browsing exhibits, equipment, and interacting with vendors.

The Iowa Commercial Nutrient Applicators will also once again be holding their Annual Meeting at the Agribusiness Showcase & Conference.

Additional information and registration will soon be available for ICNAA members.  For more information on the 2011 Agribusiness Showcase & Conference, please go to:  www.agribizshowcase.com.

During excessively high rainfall periods Iowa producers with open manure storages should closely monitor manure levels to prevent these structures from over-topping.

If manure levels in storage ponds or tanks approach full capacity producers should make plans to remove manure from these structures. The over-topping of bermed earthen storage ponds and lagoons could result in breaching of earthen berms and loss of the structures. Producers should transfer manure from full storage structures to alternative storage if available during saturated soil conditions since land application of manure to saturated soils could result in run-off into surface waters.

If no alternative storage is available producers should contact the Iowa Department of Natural Resources to discuss emergency wet-weather land application before allowing a storage tank or pond to overflow. The Iowa Department of Natural Resources (IDNR) suggests that   producers should contact their local field office if manure levels reach one foot below the top of a concrete or steel structure, or within two feet of the top of an earthen bermed structure.

Contact Information for IDNR Field Offices is shown below.

Field Office # 1 – Manchester, Iowa (563) 927-2640
Field Office # 2 – Mason City, Iowa (641) 424-4073
Field Office # 3 – Spencer, Iowa (712) 262-4177
Field Office # 4 – Atlantic, Iowa (712) 243-1934
Field Office # 5 – Des Moines, Iowa (515) 725-0268
Field Office # 6 – Washington, Iowa (319) 653-2135

Additional information on managing manure storage structures can be accessed at:  www.extension.iastate.edu/ag/hottopicswetfields.html.

Having EPA show up at your facility for an inspection can sometimes be a daunting experience. Inspections are very comprehensive and typically cover all aspects of a facility’s operation. EPA inspectors routinely perform walk-throughs of production and land       application areas, review records and collect samples. To assist producers in preparing for inspections, EPA offers the following 10 tips to help ensure operations are in compliance.

1. Are you discharging?  Answering this question is one of the primary purposes of an EPA CAFO inspection. Owners and       operators of CAFOs should evaluate their facilities to determine if any runoff is getting into nearby rivers and streams. If you are discharging, contact the state regulatory agency to determine waste controls and permit requirements.

2. Are you controlling runoff from feed storage areas? CAFOs are required to control runoff from all production areas, including feed storage areas.

3. Are you controlling runoff from manure/bedding stockpiles? These stockpiles are considered part of a facility’s production area even if they are located outside the facility’s footprint. Care should be taken to prevent runoff from discharging into nearby  rivers and streams.

4. Is your facility medium sized? If your operation conveys runoff from the production area through a man-made ditch, flushing system or other similar man-made device, then you need to obtain a permit or stop the discharge.

5. It is important to read your National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit and implement its requirements.

6. Are you counting animals correctly? Both EPA and state regulatory agencies require that species in open lots be counted     together with similar species in confinement for the purposes of determining your size status as a CAFO. Also, if your operation confines enough animals of one species to be considered a large CAFO, then all animals at the operation must be counted and runoff from these areas must be contained.

7. Maintain complete and accurate animal inventory records. One of the first things an inspector does is determine your CAFO status by looking at the number of animals that have been confined at your facility. This determination can take time if the right records are not readily available.

8. If you have an NPDES permit, you cannot expand operations beyond the capacity listed in your current permit without        authorization from the state regulatory agency.

9. Maintain lagoon berms free of trees, shrubs and erosion features and follow pump-down level requirements for lagoons to  maintain adequate storage levels.

10. Maintain records for land application of manure solids and liquids and follow a nutrient management plan/manure management plan in the application of any manure. These records are vital to demonstrating that you are implementing appropriate land  application practices.

Learn more about the National Pollution Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) and how it regulates Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations (CAFOs):  http://cfpub.epa.gov/npdes/home.cfm?program_id=7.

Owners and operators of CAFOs should use this document as a tool, because the EPA has been increasing their enforcement of cattle feeding operations. Three civil enforcement actions were announced in the span of one week against Iowa feedlots.

EPA officials have been flying over facilities in North West Iowa, and are targeting medium sized CAFOs (300-999 head) for violations.  Flying over the facilities allows for them to have a better view of which facilities are out of compliance because of distinct run-off lines.  During a meeting of the Iowa Manure Management Action Group, Gene Tinker with the Iowa Department of Natural Resources said the bottom line behind the EPA’s action is water quality.

The CAFO guidance document can be found at:  http://cfpub.epa.gov/npdes/afo/info.cfm.

The law does not apply to manure from open feedlots or dry manure. It applies to confinement (totally roofed) facilities with liquid manure that have 500 or more animal units. Generally, 500 animal units would be 1,250 finishing hogs; 5,000 nursery pigs; 500 steers, immature dairy cows or other cattle; or 357 mature dairy cows.

“However, all livestock and poultry producers need to protect water at all costs,” said Gene Tinker, DNR coordinator of animal feeding operations. “All producers must prevent pollution as they land apply manure.”

The law limits liquid application from Dec. 21 to April 1 if the ground is snow-covered. If manure can be injected or incorporated, there is no limit on land application during this time. Snow-covered ground is defined as soil having one inch or more of snow cover or one half inch or more of ice cover.

“Under those conditions, producers can only apply in emergency situations, defined in the law as unforeseen circumstances beyond the control of the producer such as natural disaster, unusual weather conditions, or equipment or structural failure,” said Tinker. “They need to notify the regional DNR field office before they apply, and they can only apply to fields that are identified for emergency application in their manure management plans and have a Phosphorus Index of 2 or less.”

Tinker also said that because they are surface applying, producers and commercial applicators need to observe the separation distances, generally applying at least:

• 750 feet from buildings such as residences, businesses and schools;
• 200 feet from environmentally sensitive areas such as a drinking water well, lakes, rivers, streams or ag drainage wells; and
• 800 feet from high quality water resources.

“The research shows that the later in the season and the closer to spring snowmelt that you apply, the greater the risk that manure-laden runoff will reach a stream,” he said. He recommends that producers who might run out of storage this winter should consider emergency application early in the winter, not late.

“Most important, they should use good common sense, applying on flat land with the least snow cover, located far from a stream,” Tinker said. “If there are tile intakes downgradient of the application area, they must temporarily block the intake – PVC pipe sleeves are the most common method.”

They must report emergency applications starting Dec. 21 to the local DNR field office. If they have questions about a specific site or risks, they can also contact a DNR field specialist. Field office locations and phone numbers are available at www.iowadnr.gov/fo/index.html.

Starting Feb. 1, confinement producers with 500 or more animal units will also be limited to emergencies if applying liquid manure on frozen ground. Producers can read the law at http://coolice.legis.state.ia.us/Cool-ICE/default.asp?Category=billinfo&Service=Billbook&menu=false&hbill=SF432.

More information on the protected areas is available at www.iowadnr.gov/afo/landapp.html. Recommendations from the Iowa Manure Management Action Group about applying manure in winter are available at www.agronext.iastate.edu/immag/pubs/imms/vol3.pdf.

http://www.agronext.iastate.edu/immag/certification/10macprogrampostcard.pdf.

Commercial manure applicators wishing to recertify and those wanting to certify for the first time should attend. The workshop will provide the required three hours of annual training and will cover applicator rules, manure application on snow-covered and frozen ground, liability issues and manure impacts on tile drainage. In addition, video from the 2009 Manure Expo will feature personal safety and manure spill response safety as part of the required programming.

All currently certified commercial manure applicator licenses will expire on March 1, 2010. Those wanting to renew must complete training requirements and submit forms and fees to the DNR prior to March 1 to avoid paying late fees.  If an applicator attended training for the first time in the fall of 2009, they should make plans to attend training again in January 2010 to meet the annual requirements.

Those unable to attend the program on Jan. 6, need to schedule time with their ISU Extension county office to watch the training videotape. Please note that training videotapes may not be available until mid February so applicators should make every effort to attend the satellite program on Jan. 6. Due to scheduling conflicts, many extension offices will no longer accept walk-in appointments to watch these tapes.  If attending the satellite program or watching the three-hour tape is not convenient, commercial applicators may contact their local DNR field office to schedule an appointment to take the certification exam to meet certification requirements.

In addition to the commercial manure applicator training offered on Jan. 6, ISU Extension also will offer five dry manure workshops for commercial manure applicators in February 2010.  Information regarding these workshops and locations is also contained in the brochure link above.

If you have questions about the satellite downlink program, contact your ISU Extension county office or visit http://extension.agron.iastate.edu/immag/mac.html.

The three hour program beginning at 9:00 a.m. will contain information on the Amana Farms beef manure digester including goals and objectives, design and installation, and the farm’s experiences; feasibility considerations for on-farm manure digesters; manure digester opportunities in Iowa; and digester methane production for carbon credits.

Following lunch on your own, tours of the Amana Farms digester will be available at the Renewable Energy Center. The registration fee is $25, and attendees should register on-site.  For more information please see

http://www.abe.iastate.edu/fileadmin/www.abe.iastate.edu/extension/wastemgmt/Conferences/2009_Fall_Program_Flyer.pdf or contact Lara Moody at 515-294-7355.

Both of these events are linked on the Events page of the IMMAG web site and both will be included in the email newsletter put out by IMMAG.  The next email newsletter is scheduled for distribution next week so please send any information you wish to share by 5 p.m. on Monday November 16.

The workshop will be held on Dec. 17 at the Borlaug Learning Center, located on the Northeast Iowa Research and Demonstration Farm near Nashua, Iowa.  The workshop starts at 8:30 a.m. and ends at 4 p.m. It is an introductory level, hands-on workshop that will provide the participant with software orientation.

This workshop will introduce participants to the operating parameters for RUSLE2; selection of input values for RUSLE2; and developing and saving management operations for RUSLE2. In addition, real field examples will be used in the workshop to determine risk calculations of the Iowa Phosphorus Index and how to incorporate these numbers into manure and nutrient management planning requirements.

New for this workshop will be the inclusion of parameters for RUSLE2 and P Index calculations on snow-covered or frozen ground. Soil sampling requirements for manure management plans will also be discussed.

The cost of the workshop is $160 if registered on or prior to Dec. 10; the fee is $175 for registering after Dec. 10.  The workshop fee includes handout materials, refreshments and lunch. Because software will be provided, participants are required to bring a MS Windows compatible laptop equipped with a CD-ROM drive and Microsoft Excel software. Participants must have their administrator password to the computer they bring in order to install software.  The workshop is limited to 30 participants.

On-line registration, program information and directions to the workshop are available at:www.ucs.iastate.edu/mnet/rusle2/home.html.

Questions regarding these workshops should be directed to Kapil Arora at (515) 382-6551or Angie Rieck-Hinz at (515) 294-9590.