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          Concentrated
          Animal
          Feeding
          Operations
                Glean, Itlatesi, Act
                M/hat Are the Federal Requirements for
                Dairy Cow and Heifer CAFOs?
                In December 2002, EPA revised the Clean Water
                Act regulation for Concentrated Animal Feeding
                Operations, or CAFOs. If you own or operate a
                dairy cow or heifer CAFO, you must apply for a
                permit. This pamphlet gives general information
                about what your permitting authority might
                require in your CAFO's permit.
 Other Pamphlets in EPA's CAFO Clean Water
    Act Requirements Information Series

Will My Operation Be Regulated?
EPA 833-F-02-006

What f\re the Federal Requirements for Swine CAFOs?
EPA 833-F-02-007

What Are the Federal Requirements for Chicken and
Turkey CAFOs?
EPA 833-F-02-008

What Are the Federal Requirements for Beef Cattle and
Veal Calf CAFOs?
EPA833-F-02-0010

What Are the Federal Requirements for Horse and
Sheep CAFOs?
EPA 833-F-02-0011

What Are the Federal Requirements for Duck CAFOs?
EPA833-F-02-0012

What Are the Federal Record-Keeping and Reporting
Requirements?
EPA833-F-02-0013

How do I contact my permitting authority?
Visit www.epa.gov/npdes/afo/statecontacts for contact
information on your permitting authority.

Where can I get copies of these brochures and
more information?
Call the Office of Water Resource Center,
(202) 566-1729 to request copies of these pamphlets and
other documents. Call the CAFO Phone Line at
(202) 564-0766 with questions or visit the following EPA or
U5DA web sites.
EPA:
www.epa.gov/npdes/caforule
www.epa.gov/agriculture

USDA:
www.usda.gov
                                                            Photos courtesy of U5DA
                                                            EPA 833-F-02-009
                                                            December 2002

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Is my dairy cow or heifer operation a
CAFO?
Your operation is a CAFO
if it is an animal feeding
operation (AFO) and it
meets one of the following
conditions
5ee the pamphlet
Will My Operation
Be Regulated? for
the definition of
an AFO.
Large CAFOs
Your dairy cow or heifer AFO is a Large CAFO if it has
at least
 •S  700 dairy cows

 S  1,000 heifers

Medium CAFOs
Your dairy cow or heifer AFO is a Medium CAFO if it has
at least
 •S  200 dairy cows
    300 heifers
                      and
 •S a man-made ditch or pipe carries manure
    or wastewater from your operation or

 •S your animals come into contact with surface
    water running through the area where they're
    confined

Designated CAFOs
No matter what size your operation is,  if it is an AFO, it
can be designated a CAFO. If your permitting authority
inspects your operation and finds that it's adding
pollutants to surface waters, your operation might need
a CAFO permit.

My operation is a CAFO. What do I
have  to do?
You must apply to your permitting authority for a
permit. Most states have the authority to manage
CAFO programs and issue permits. 5tate CAFO
programs are based on the revised national regulation.
You can use this pamphlet to help you learn about
the minimum requirements for a permit. You should
contact your permitting authority to find out what your
state-specific requirements are and how to apply for
a permit. Check the insert to this pamphlet for your
permitting authority's contact information.
What will my operation's permit require?
Your CAFO permit will require you to meet certain
conditions for your production
and land application areas. The
specific requirements of your
permit will depend on whether
your operation is a Large,
Medium, or designated  CAFO.
The production area
is the area where
your animals are
housed and manure
is stored.
                             Requirements for all dairy cow or heifer CAFOs
                             You can expect your permit to require you to
                              •S Implement a nutrient management plan

                              •S 5ubmit annual reports to your permitting authority

                              •S Keep your permit current until you completely close
                                 your operation and remove all manure

                              •S Keep records of your nutrient management
                                 practices for at least 5 years (5ee the pamphlet
                                 What Are the Federal Record-Keeping and Reporting
                                 Requirements?)

                             Nutrient management plans for all dairy cow and
                             heifer CAFOs must include provisions for
                              •S Assuring adequate manure storage capacity

                              •S Proper handling of dead animals and chemicals

                              •S Diverting clean water from the production area

                              •S Keeping animals out of surface water

                              •S Using site-specific
                                 conservation practices
                                                             The land application
                                                             area includes all
                                                             the land under your
                                                             control where you
                                                             spread manure.
 •S Developing ways to test
    manure and soil

 •S Assuring appropriate
    use of nutrients when
    you spread manure

 •S Keeping records of your nutrient management practices

Your permitting authority might set more
requirements for any size CAFO.

Requirements for Medium and designated dairy
cow or heifer CAFOs
Your permitting authority might set more requirements for
your nutrient management plan. These requirements will
depend on the permit writer's best professional judgment
and could be like the requirements for Large dairy cow or
heifer CAFOs.
                                                           Requirements for large dairy cow or heifer CAFOs
                                                           Nutrient management plans for Large dairy cow or heifer
                                                           CAFOs have more requirements for production and land
                                                           application areas.

                                                           Production area
                                                            •/ Design your production area to contain all of your
                                                               CAFO's manure plus the runoff from a 25-year,
                                                               24-hour rainfall event (large storms). (Overflows from
                                                               large storms are allowed only if your operation is
                                                               designed and operated to meet these specifications.)

                                                            •/ Install depth markers in liquid manure storage
                                                               structures

                                                            •/ Inspect your production area weekly and all water
                                                               lines daily

                                                            •S Correct any problems you find as soon as possible

                                                            •S Properly handle dead animals

                                                           Land application area
                                                            •S Apply manure at rates that meet your permitting
                                                               authority's standards
                                                            •S Analyze manure for
                                                              nutrient content at least
                                                              once a year

                                                            •S Analyze the soil from
                                                              your land application
                                                              fields for phosphorus
                                                              amounts every 5 years

                                                            •S Avoid applying manure to
                                                              any land within 100 feet
                                                              of surface  water

                                                            •S From time to time, inspect your land application
                                                              equipment for leaks

                                                           Transferring  manure to other persons
                                                            •S Keep records for at least 5 years on the date,
                                                              recipient, amount, and nutrient content of the
                                                              manure you transferred

                                                            •S Information about the nutrient content of your
                                                              manure must be  given to the recipient
                                                         5ome Large dairy cow
                                                         or heifer CAFOs may
                                                         qualify for equivalent
                                                         discharge allowances.
                                                         If you use innovative
                                                         technologies,  like
                                                         treating wastewater in
                                                         your production area,
                                                         ask your  permitting
                                                         authority  about your
                                                         options.

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