Environmental Assessment Tools for Evaluating Livestock Operations

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Environmental Assessment Tools for Evaluating
Livestock Operations
EPA Regional Science Workshop December 6-9, 2004
Dr. Mark Risse, PE Biological and Agricultural
Engineering Department The University of Georgia
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Agenda for this presentation

• Environmental Assessment programs
• NRCS
• EPA
• Extension
• Partnerships
• Industry
• General Conclusions
• EMSs

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• Agency is leader in technical assistance,
  standard development, and cost share funding of
  Ag practices.
• Work with Local Districts and RCDs
• EQIP primary livestock program, incorporates
  conservation planning, assessment and financial
  assistance to farmer.
• Toolkit is web-based tool that mainly focuses on
  resource identification and display

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NRCS Planning Process

• Phase I - Collection and Analysis
• 1. Identify Problems and Opportunities
• 2. Determine Objectives
• 3. Inventory Resources
• 4. Analyze Resource Data
• Phase II - Decision Support
• 5. Formulate Alternatives
• 6. Evaluate Alternatives
• 7. Make Decisions
• Phase III - Application and Evaluation
• 8. Implement the Plan
• 9. Evaluate the Plan

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Conservation Security Program

• New Program
• Includes Self Assessment
• Online or Print Version
• Program includes many
• opportunities for innovation
• Great Appendix

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NRCS Programs

• Land Evaluation and Site Assessment tool for
  measuring land and productivity to assist 
  landowners and others prior to making land use
  conversions to non-agricultural uses.
• Technical Service Providers
• Soil Quality and Erosion Tools

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• Oversight for Regulations
• Tons of info on various Websites
• Technical Fundamentals for CAFOs for Permit
• Writers and Inspectors
• Notebook and 4 day training
• EPA, Tetratech, and Extension
• Regional Courses
• Flags for Permit and Inspection

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• AFO Virtual Center
• National Ag Compliance Assistance Center
• Pollution Prevention Sites
• Information on Monitoring

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• Federal Side of Land Grant Universities
• Research, Education, and Extension
• Includes ARS, ERS, and NASS
• Local Delivery System has knowledge of
• Education and Agriculture

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FarmASyst

• To facilitate state and local programs that
  enable rural and urban landowners and residents
  to identify environmental and health risks on
  their properties and take voluntary action to
  reduce them.

Interagency National office at UW Public/Private
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FarmASyst

• Self Assessment Tool
• Planning Guide
• Fact sheet
• Technical assistance
• Facility design
• Supplies and equipment
• Financial assistance
• Regulations

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Worksheets

• Identify risks
• Highlight regulations
• Support action plans

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SOME WORKSHEETS DEVELOPED

• Drinking Well Condition
• Pesticide Storage and Handling
• Fertilizer Storage and Handling
• Petroleum Product Storage
• Hazardous Waste Management
• Livestock Waste Storage
• Livestock Yards Management
• Silage Storage
• Poultry Waste Management

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FarmASyst is funded and implemented by many
sources and agencies
Total number of assessments conducted 110,000
Estimated funds invested in voluntary actions
72 million
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AG EMS

• Livestock EMS Project
• Involved from FarmASyst Teams
• Working with Multi-State Working Group

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• Nationally developed and pilot tested
• 26 lessons and six modules
• Each include assessment tools, power point
  presentation and speaker notes
• Individual lessons available on-line, CDs
  ordered through MidWest Plan Service.

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National Animal Waste Management Center
Both at NCSU Research results White
Papers Technology Verification Center Smithfield
Agreement
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National Water Quality

• National Themes in Animal Waste, Pollution
  Prevention and Assessment, and Best Education
  Practices.
• Links to regional programs.
• Database of all Projects in U.S.

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MICHIGAN AGRICULTURE ENVIRONMENTAL ASSURANCE
PROGRAM"An Environmentally Comprehensive and
Voluntary Program for Michigan Farmers"
Generally Accepted Agricultural Management Practic
es

• Education Extension
• Assessment FarmASyst
• Planning NRCS or TSP
• Certification Dept of Ag.

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P.E.A.C.C.E.

• Pennsylvania Environmental Agricultural
  Conservation Certification Program
• Industry led result of FarmASyst/EMS Efforts
• Certification includes sign, regulatory
  acknowledgement and possible insurance
  reductions.

• Education Extension
• Assessment OFAER
• Certification SW Cons. District
• Cont. Education

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• Industry and multiple agencies
• Commodity Specific Manuals and courses
• Recognition Presumed Compliance
• Spreading to other states

• Education Extension
• Model Farm Field Day
• Conservation Plan NRCS or TSP
• Certification SW Cons. district

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Idaho One Plan

• Data and software to help growers develop single
  plan that is pre-endorsed to meet multiple agency
  requirements
• Nutrient, Pesticide and Waste Management
• Water Quality and Wetlands
• Air Quality
• Endangered Species
• Financial Assistance
• On-line, voluntary, and the result of multiple
  agencies working together.

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New York Agricultural Environmental Management

• Multi-agency
• Farmers receive greater access to cost share.

• Education Extension
• Assessment FarmASyst
• Planning NRCS or TSP
• Certification SW Cons. Districts

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• Ontario Farm Plan based on FarmASyst
• Attend workshop, get Farm Plan workbook, self
  assess and develop action plan.
• Group of local farmers reviews for certification.

• Multi-agency program
• Requires education, inspection, planning, and
  third party certification
• Mock inspections conducted by Extension Faculty
  and District Staff.

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Georgia Ag P2

• Partnership between Extension and State Pollution
  Prevention Assistance Division
• Provides technical assistance, site visits,
  applied research.
• Voluntary but many requests are follow-up of
  regulatory agencies.
• Method for State to gain access to ag community,
  partner with University, and use larger delivery
  system.

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Other State P2 efforts

• North Carolina excellent ag database, Swine EMS
  tools, and information on organics recycling.
• Idaho Dairy P2 initiative public-private
  partnership that established MOU for Idaho Dept.
  of Agriculture Inspectors to receive
  environmental education and conduct inspections
  for State. Collect funds from milk sales of
  non-complying dairies.

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• Americas Clean Water Foundation
• Voluntary and free to producers
• Third party assessments by two certified
  assessors
• Written evaluation of strengths and weaknesses
  supplied to producer
• A model assessment program with proven success
  and utility

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Certified EMS for Agriculture

• Iowa Soybean Association developed and funded
  this project to investigate EMS development.
• Pilot tested and refined with 10 farmers
• Delivery to up to 150 farmers this year.

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Commodity Group Efforts

• National Pork Producers
• Environmental Assurance Program
• Odor testing protocal
• Milk Producers BMP Manual
• Cattlemans Awards program
• US Poultry
• UEP Excel agreement
• Poultry Water Quality Consortium
• EMSs for processing facilities

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Keys to Successful programs

• Producers need assistance
• Self assessment tools provide education
• Assistance motivates producer
• Assessment is an educational process

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Keys to Successful programs

• Producers must respect and trust the third party
  they are working with
• Implementation dependent on trust
• Must correspond to ag production practices, speak
  their language
• NRCS, Districts, Extension, TSPs, Consultants,
  Dept. of Ag.

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Keys to Successful programs

• Partnerships work best
• Each agency brings own strengths
• Commodity groups critical to acceptance
• Education is essential
• Department of Agriculture is on most farms
  already

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Keys to Successful programs

• Producers need Incentives
• Should go beyond compliance
• Recognition and awards are desired
• Greater access to financial assistance
• Less regulatory oversight, liability, and
  insurance could work on larger operations
• Difficult to capitalize on market benefits

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Keys to Successful programs

• Producers must take active role in process
• Plans, assessments, done without producer input
  rarely get adopted
• Education is necessary to get producers to point
  where input is helpful
• Decisions should be documented

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Keys to Successful programs

• EMSs may offer opportunity
• Record keeping often lacking
• EMSs require policy, assessment, planning,
  documentation, and continious improvement to go
  beyond compliance
• Most certifications require education,
  assessment, planning, and certification
• EMS not for everyone.
• Could provide market benefit

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Keys to Successful programs

• Regulatory Assessment tools are a critical need.
• Must go beyond CAFO rule
• Must deal with interpretation of State and
  Federal Codes
• Difficult to address local codes

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AGRICULTURAL POLLUTION
PREVENTION PROGRAM
Working together for efficiency and
profit www.agp2.org
Cooperative Extension Service
Biological Agricultural Engineering
Dept. College of Agricultural Environmental
Sciences University of
Georgia