The Colorado Livestock Association’s (CLA) Natural Resources Committee met for its annual meeting on Tuesday, October 23, 2018.
CLA members, including; Gary and Laura Teague, Justin Miller, Julie McCaleb, Todd Sigmon, Tom Haren and Bill Hammerich, CLA CEO met in Fort Morgan and were joined by staff from the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment’s (CDPHE) Environmental Ag Program; Sean Scott, Environmental Ag Program Deputy Division Director, Chad DeVolin, Program Coordinator, Technical Leads Mike Sherry, Bonnie Laws and Thaine Kramer and Bradley Turpin, Milk and Correction Program Coordinator.
Topics of discussion, included; the eReporting Rule which goes into effect in 2020; how to simplify nutrient management plans; the upcoming CAFO/HCSFO inspections by Tetratech; location and method of disposal of mortalities; and increased use of technology in meeting permit requirements. Currently, there are 89 permitted CAFO’s and 114 registered CAFO’s in Colorado.
In 2005, Colorado Livestock Association members were instrumental in the formation of the Environmental Ag Program to the benefit of Colorado’s livestock industry. The Environmental Ag Program administers air and water quality protection regulations specific to animal feeding operations, including permitting, conducting site inspections, developing and implementing policies and regulations, providing technical assistance and initiating enforcement actions in coordination with the Air and Water Quality divisions.
About the Environmental Ag Program
The CDPHE’s Environmental Agriculture Program focuses on permitting and compliance assurance for Colorado’s animal feeding operations. The Ag Program is primarily producer-funded, through fees set in state law. Since 2005, the Ag Program has collaborated with the agricultural sector through policy-making, regulation, technical guidance, inspections, compliance assistance, annual stakeholder meetings and quarterly newsletters.
The Ag Program is comprised of three technical leads, Bonnie Laws, Thaine Kramer and Mike Sherry, along with Chad DeVolin, the program manager. The Ag Program strives to be a “one-stop shop” for producers. Each technical lead is assigned a region of the state and they provide comprehensive assistance in those regions for the regulations that the Program administers. If Ag Program customers need assistance from other state programs, the Ag Program helps put producers in contact with the right people or the right information.
The Ag Program manages four regulations that apply to animal feeding operations. Regulation No. 61 assures clean water through federal law, and applies to permitted concentrated animal feeding operations (CAFOs) and housed commercial swine feeding operations (HCSFOs). Regulation No. 81 assures clean water through state law, and applies to permitted CAFOs, non-permitted CAFOs, and smaller animal feeding operations (AFOs). Regulation No. 66 regulates financial assurance for HCSFOs and Regulation No. 2 protects air quality through state law for HCSFOs.
If you are interested in learning more about the Ag Program, or would like to discuss issues affecting your operation, please contact the Ag Program at 303-692-3520 or by email at cdphe.cafo@state.co.us. Learn more online here.
