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Waste management permits for animal operations subject of meetings
Story Date: 11/7/2013
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Source: NCDENR, 11/6/13
The N.C. Division of Water Resources has scheduled meetings in Statesville and Kenansville this month to gather comments on drafts of the state’s general permits for swine, cattle and poultry waste management systems.
The state’s general permits – which are evaluated, amended if necessary and reissued every five years – establish requirements for land application of animal waste and prohibit the discharge of waste to surface waters. The permits include general performance standards, as well as operation and maintenance, and monitoring and reporting requirements. Each facility with a general permit is issued a certificate of coverage and must have a certified waste management plan that more specifically defines the waste management requirements of that facility. Most of the changes made to the current draft of the general permit clarified language and incorporated some policies into the permit.
Public meetings to gather input on the draft general permits will be held on the following dates and locations:
• Nov. 12 at the Iredell County Center, 444 Bristol Drive in Statesville.
• Nov. 14 at the James Sprunt Community College, 133 James Sprunt Drive in Kenansville.
Both meetings start at 7 p.m., but registration begins at 6:30 p.m.
At the meetings, staff with the state Division of Water Resources will present information about the draft permits before opening the meeting to public comments. Both oral and written comments will be accepted. Written comments also may be mailed to: Christine Lawson, N.C. Division of Water Resources, Animal Feeding Operations Unit, 1636 Mail Service Center, Raleigh, N.C. 27699-1636 or e-mailed to Christine.Lawson@ncdenr.gov. The comment period closes Dec. 6.
The thresholds for coverage under the state general permits are 250 swine, 100 confined cattle, or 30,000 chickens or turkeys. North Carolina has 2,072 swine facilities, 176 cattle facilities and seven poultry operations covered by state general permits. Only those poultry operations that have wet litter waste management systems are subject to this permit; poultry operations that have dry litter waste management are not subject to the permit.
More information, including links to the draft permits, can be found on the DWR website at: http://portal.ncdenr.org/web/wq/aps/afo under the State General Permit Renewal link.
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