BUTTE COUNTY AIR QUALITY MANAGEMENT DISTRICT 

RULE 450 - LARGE CONFINED ANIMAL FACILITIES 

(Adopted December 21, 2006) 

RULE 450 CONTENTS

1. APPLICABILITY 

2. DEFINITIONS 

3. REQUIREMENTS 

4. COMPLIANCE DETERMINATION 

5. ANNUAL RENEWAL 

6. RECORDKEEPING 

7. PUBLIC NOTICE 

8. NON-DUPLICATION 

9. EXISTING FACILITIES 

10. OTHER PROVISIONS 
RULE 450 

1 APPLICABILITY: This Rule establishes the permitting requirements for 

agricultural sources subject to permit as a result of amendments to California Health 

and Safety Code (HSC) Section 40724 that became effective January 1, 2004. A 

written Authority to Construct and Permit to Operate shall be required for all Large 

Confined Animal Facilities. 

2 DEFINITIONS: For the purpose of this Rule, the following definitions shall 

apply: 

2.1 Best Available Retrofit Control Technology (BARCT) means an 

emission limitation that is based on the maximum degree of reduction 

achievable, taking into account environmental, energy, and economic 

impacts by each class or category of source. 

2.2 Confined Animal Facility (CAF) means a source or group of sources of air 

pollution at an agricultural source for the raising of 3,360 or more fowl or 50 

or more animals, including but not limited to, any structure, building, 

installation, farm, corral, coop, feed storage area, milking parlor, or system 

for the collection, storage, or distribution of solid and liquid manure; if 

domesticated animals, including but not limited to, cattle, calves, horses, 

sheep, goats, swine, rabbits, chickens, turkeys, or ducks corralled, penned, 

or otherwise caused to remain in restricted areas for commercial agricultural 

purposes, and feeding is by means other than grazing. 

2.3 Large Confined Animal Facility (LCAF) means any confined animal 

facility that maintains or exceeds the following thresholds: 

LIVESTOCK CATEGORY THRESHOLD 

Dairy 1,000 milking cows 

Beef Cattle 3,500 head 

Other Cattle 7,500 calves, heifers, or other cattle

Turkeys 100,000 head 

Chickens 650,000 head 

Swine 3,000 head 

Sheep, lambs, or goats 15,000 head of sheep, lamb, goats, or 

any combination of the three 

Horses 2,500 head 

Ducks 650,000 head 

Any other livestock not listed 

above 30,000 head 
2.4 Precursor Emissions means any emissions of air contaminants that 

contribute to the formation of ozone and particulates, including but not 

limited to, emissions of volatile organic compounds, oxides of nitrogen, and 

ammonia. 

3 REQUIREMENTS 

3.1 On or before May 15, 2007, an owner or operator of an LCAF shall not 

build, erect, install, alter, replace, or operate any LCAF without first 

obtaining written authorization from the Air Pollution Control Officer 

(APCO). The permit application shall include: 

3.1.1. The information that the APCO, or his designee, determines is 

necessary to prepare an emissions inventory of all regulated air 

pollutants emitted from the operation, including, but not limited to, 

precursor and fugitive emissions, using emission factors approved 

by the California Air Resource Board (CARB) in a public hearing; 

and 

3.1.2. List of all equipment and the regulating DISTRICT Rules; and 

3.1.3 List of all other sources of air pollution, including but not limited 

to animals, birds, and lagoons; and 

3.1.4 Total capacity of the facility in terms of animal and bird 

population; and 

3.1.5 An emissions mitigation plan that demonstrates that the facility 

will use BARCT to reduce emissions of pollutants that contribute 

to the nonattainment of any ambient air quality standard, and that 

are within the DISTRICT’s regulatory authority. 

3.2 The APCO shall act upon an application for permit submitted pursuant to 

this Rule within six months of receipt of a complete application. 

3.3 Operators of LCAFs shall implement the control measures identified in their 

mitigation plan pursuant to a schedule approved by the APCO. 

3.4 On or before January 15, 2008, and each year thereafter, the owner or 

operator of an LCAF shall submit an annual compliance plan that updates 

the information submitted pursuant to Section 3.1 above. 

4 COMPLIANCE DETERMINATION

4.1 Any violation of this Rule constitutes a violation of the underlying LCAF 

permit. 

4.2 Pursuant to HSC Section 42301(e), the APCO may update LCAF permits 

upon annual renewal to include conditions necessary for compliance. 
5 ANNUAL RENEWAL: Permits to Operate for LCAF shall be renewed pursuant 

to HSC Section 42301 and Rule 500. 

6 RECORDKEEPING: All owners of confined animal facilities, regardless of size, 

shall keep records that specify the daily number of animals maintained at the 

facility. Records shall be maintained and kept at the facility and shall be presented 

to the APCO, or his designee, upon request. 

7 PUBLIC NOTICE: Prior to issuing any permit for an LCAF, the draft permit shall 

be available for public review and inspection for a period of not less than thirty (30) 

calendar days. 

8 NON-DUPLICATION: Information required to be submitted pursuant to other 

DISTRICT Rules and Regulations that are applicable to an LCAF, may be excluded 

from the mitigation measures specified in Section 3.1 of this Rule, as determined by 

the APCO. 

9 EXISTING FACILITIES: Operators that have obtained an LCAF permit on or

before December 21, 2006, satisfy the information requirements of Section 3.1.1 

thru 3.1.4 of this Rule for initial permitting. 

10 OTHER PROVISIONS: Any permit issued to an LCAF is subject to all 

applicable provisions of the California Health & Safety Code and the DISTRICT 

Rules and Regulations.