BROOKINGS, S.D. — An environmental training session for operators of Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations (CAFOs), will be held Wednesday, March 2, in Huron at the Crossroads Convention Center.
Registration will begin at 8:30 a.m. CST with the program following at 8:45 a.m. and concluding at approximately 4:45 p.m.
Specialists from South Dakota State University (SDSU) Extension, the South Dakota Department of Agriculture and Natural Resources (DANR) and the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) will facilitate the training.
“Past attendees of this program have come away with at least one new practice they consider adopting related to land application, livestock feeding, air quality or soil conservation,” said Bob Thaler, Distinguished Professor and SDSU Extension Swine Specialist.
Training is required for permit holders
In spring 2017, the former South Dakota Department of Environment and Natural Resources, which has merged with the former South Dakota Department of Agriculture to become the South Dakota Department of Agriculture & Natural Resources (SD DANR), reissued the General Water Pollution Control Permit for CAFOs. The new permit requires existing permitted operations to obtain coverage under the proposed permit one to four years after the general permit is issued.
One of the proposed permit conditions for existing permitted operations is that an onsite representative attends an approved environmental training program within the last three years prior to obtaining a new permit. Additionally, if the person who attended training no longer works at the operation, another representative must attend training within one year.
The March 2 program meets the training requirement of the proposed permit if it is attended within three years of obtaining coverage under the new permit. Manure applicators, producers and any other interested individuals who are not currently applying for a permit can also benefit from the information and are encouraged to attend.
Presentations and speakers will include:
- “Water Quality” – John McMaine, Assistant Professor and SDSU Extension Water Management Engineer
- “Livestock Nutrition Options for Altering Nitrogen and Phosphorus Content of Manure” – Bob Thaler, Distinguished Professor and SDSU Extension Swine Specialist
- “South Dakota DANR Livestock Permit Program” – Jason Roggow, Natural Resources Engineer for the SD DANR
- “Managing Nitrogen and Phosphorus in Land Applications of Manure” – Anthony Bly, SDSU Extension Soils Field Specialist
- “Soil Erosion and Infiltration” – Kent Vlieger, Soil Health Specialist with the USDA NRCS
- “Air Quality and Odor” – Xufei Yang, SDSU Extension Environmental Quality Engineer
Registration
To register, visit the SDSU Extension Events page at extension.sdstate.edu/events. Event costs are covered through a $50 registration fee, which includes lunch, breaks and training materials.
For event details and questions, contact Bob Thaler, Distinguished Professor and SDSU Extension Swine Specialist, at (605) 688-5435 or Robert.Thaler@sdstate.edu or John McMaine, Assistant Professor and SDSU Extension Water Management Engineer, at (605) 688-5610 or John.McMaine@sdstate.edu.
— SDSU Extension
