BROOKINGS, S.D. – There is an environmental training session for operators of Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations (CAFOs) on June 28 at the Crossroads Convention Center in Huron, South Dakota.
Registration is 8:30 a.m. CST with the program starting at 8:45 a.m. and concluding at approximately 4:45 p.m.
Specialists from South Dakota State University Extension, the South Dakota Department of Agriculture and Natural Resources, and the Natural Resources Conservation Service are offering 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.
Speakers will include Thaler on livestock nutrition options for altering nitrogen and phosphorus content of manure; John McMaine, assistant professor and SDSU Extension Water Management Engineer on water quality; Jason Roggow, natural resources engineer for the South Dakota Department of Agriculture and Natural Resources on the South Dakota DANR livestock permit program; Anthony Bly, SDSU Extension Soils Field Specialist on managing nitrogen and phosphorus in land applications of manure; Kent Vlieger, soil health specialist with the United States Department of Agriculture NRCS on soil erosion and infiltration; and Xufei Yang, SDSU Extension Environmental Quality Engineer on air quality and odor.
To register, visit extension.sdstate.edu/events and search “CAFO”. Registration is $50 and includes lunch, breaks and training materials. The Crossroads Convention Center is located at 100 Fourth St. S.W. in Huron.
Training required for permit holders
In spring 2017, the South Dakota Department of Environment and Natural Resources reissued the General Water Pollution Control Permit for CAFOs. The 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 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.
This training program meets the requirement of the proposed permit if attended within three years of obtaining coverage under the new permit. Manure applicators, producers and any other interested individuals who are not applying for a permit can also benefit from the information and are encouraged to attend.
For more information, contact Bob Thaler, SDSU Extension Swine Specialist, at (605) 688-5435 or Robert.Thaler@sdstate.edu; or John McMaine, SDSU Extension Water Management Engineer, at (605) 688-5610 or John.McMaine@sdstate.edu.
