# Presentation: 822200

## Environmental Assessment Tools for Evaluating Livestock Operations

**Dr. Mark Risse, PE**
**Biological and Agricultural Engineering Department**
**The University of Georgia**

- EPA Regional Science Workshop
- December 6-9, 2004

## Agenda for this presentation

- Environmental Assessment programs
- NRCS
- EPA
- Extension
- Partnerships
- Industry
- General Conclusions
- EMS’s

- Agency is leader in technical assistance, standard development, and cost share funding of Ag practices.
- Work with Local Districts and RC&D’s
- 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

## 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

## Conservation Security Program

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

## 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

**Tons of info on various Websites**
**Technical Fundamentals for CAFO’s for Permit **
**Writers and Inspectors**
-   Notebook and 4 day training
-   EPA, Tetratech, and Extension
-   Regional Courses
-   “Flags” for Permit and Inspection

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

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

## Farm*A*Syst

- 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

## Farm*A*Syst

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

## Worksheets

- Identify risks
- Highlight regulations
- Support action plans

## Slide 13

## Slide 14

## 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

## Total number of assessments 

**Total number of assessments **
**conducted: 110,000**** **

**Estimated funds invested in **
**voluntary actions:**** ****$72 million**

**Farm*A*Syst is funded and implemented by many sources and agencies**

## AG EMS

- Livestock EMS Project
- Involved from Farm*A*Syst Teams
- Working with Multi-State Working Group

## 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, CD’s ordered through MidWest Plan Service.

- 26 lessons and six modules
- Each include assessment tools, power point presentation and speaker notes
- Individual lessons available on-line, CD’s ordered through MidWest Plan Service.

## National Animal Waste Management Center 

**National Animal Waste Management Center**** **

- Both at NCSU
- Research results
- White Papers
- Technology Verification Center
- Smithfield Agreement

**Notes:**

PRESENTER NOTES

## 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.

## Education: Extension

**MICHIGAN**** ****AGRICULTURE ENVIRONMENTAL ASSURANCE PROGRAM**"An Environmentally Comprehensive and Voluntary Program for Michigan Farmers"

|  |
| --- |

|                                      | Mission Statement
To develop and promote a recognized, voluntary, proactive environmental assurance program, targeted to the agricultural industry, which ensures that producers are engaging in cost-effective pollution prevention practices and are in compliance with environmental regulations. |
| --- | --- |

- Assessment: Farm*A*Syst
- Planning: NRCS or TSP
- Certification: Dept of Ag.

**Generally**
**Accepted**
**Agricultural**
**Management**
**Practices**

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

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

- Pennsylvania Environmental Agricultural Conservation Certification Program
- Industry led result of Farm*A*Syst/EMS Efforts
- Certification includes sign, regulatory acknowledgement and possible insurance reductions.

- Education: Extension
- Assessment: OFAER
- Certification: SW Cons. District
- Cont. Education

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

- 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

## Idaho One Plan

**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.

## New York Agricultural Environmental Management

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

- Education: Extension
- Assessment: Farm*A*Syst
- Planning: NRCS or TSP
- Certification: SW Cons. Districts

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

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

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

## 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.

## 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.

- America’s 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

## Certified EMS for Agriculture

**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.

## Commodity Group Efforts

- National Pork Producers
- Environmental Assurance Program
- Odor testing protocal
- Milk Producers BMP Manual
- Cattleman’s Awards program
- US Poultry
- UEP Excel agreement
- Poultry Water Quality Consortium
- EMS’s for processing facilities

## Keys to Successful programs

**Keys to Successful programs**

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

## Keys to Successful programs

**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, TSP’s, Consultants, Dept. of Ag.

## 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***

**Notes:**
USDA NRCS, To date 1 million met nationwide

## Keys to Successful programs

**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

## 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**

##  Keys to Successful programs

** ****Keys to Successful programs**

- EMS’s may offer opportunity
- Record keeping often lacking
- EMS’s 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

## 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

## AGRICULTURAL POLLUTION

**AGRICULTURAL POLLUTION**
**                       ****PREVENTION PROGRAM**

**              ****Cooperative Extension Service**
**      ****Biological & Agricultural Engineering Dept.**
**College of Agricultural & Environmental Sciences**
**                      ****University of Georgia**

**Working together for efficiency and profit**
**www.agp2.org**