CAFO Definitions
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Contact: Gerard Kennedy
AFO
An Animal Feeding Operation(AFO) is an operation that meets both of the
following conditions:
- The animals are confined for at least 45 days during any 12 month period. The 45 days of confinement do not have to be 45 days in a row and the 12 month period can be any consecutive 12 months. Because of weather conditions in Massachusetts livestock operations generally meet this condition.
AND
- Crops, forage growth and other vegetation are not grown in the area where
the animals are confined
Pasture operations are not AFOs because the animals are not confined or
concentrated in an area where manure builds up. However, a pasture or grazing
operation may have areas such as feedlots, barns or pens that meet the
conditions above
Concentrated Animal Feeding Operation (CAFO)
TABLE 1: LARGE CAFOS by DEFINITION
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DEFINED LARGE CAFOs
Animals are confined for 45 days or more in any twelve month period and
the operation meets any of the animal thresholds in Table 1, right:
REQUIREMENTS FOR LARGE CAFOs
1.NPDES Permits
Large CAFOs are required to apply for NPDES permits only if they discharge or propose to discharge pollutants (see the February 28, 2005 Second Circuit US Court of Appeals decision in Waterkeeper Alliance et al. v. EPA, 3999 F.3d 486.)
2. Nutrient Management Plans
Develop and implement a nutrient management plan. For large CAFOs the nutrient
management plan must describe how the operation will achieve discharge
limits specified in the NPDES permit.
AVOIDING "DEFINED LARGE" CAFO STATUS
- Reduce animal numbers below the threshold numbers in Table 1, right
|
| Animal Type |
Number of Animals |
|
Beef cattle
|
1,000 or more |
Cow/ Calf Pairs
(until weaning) |
1000 or more |
| Veal |
1000 or more |
| Mature Dairy Cattle |
700 or more |
| Dairy Heifers |
1000 or more |
| Swine (55 lbs or more) |
2500 or more |
| Swine (less than 55lbs) |
10,000 or more |
| Turkeys |
55,000 or more |
Laying hens or broilers
(liquid manure system) |
30,000 or more |
Laying Hens
(other than liquid manure system) |
82,000 or more |
Chickens
(except laying hens) |
125,000 or more |
Ducks
(liquid manure system) |
5,000 or more |
Ducks
(other than liquid manure systems) |
30,000 or more |
| Sheep or lambs |
10,000 or more |
| Horses |
500 or more |
|
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TABLE: 2 MEDIUM CAFO by DEFINITION
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DEFINED MEDIUM CAFOs
Animals are confined for a 45 day period and the operation meets any of
the animal thresholds in Table 2 (right), and the facility meets one or
both of the following discharge criteria
- A man made ditch, pipe, or similar device carries manure or process washwater from the operation to surface water. An example of this might be tile drains that drain into an area where there is surface water
OR
- The animals come into contact with surface water that runs through the area where they are confined. An example of this is where a stream runs through the confinement area and animals have direct access
REQUIREMENTS FOR MEDIUM CAFOs
1.NPDES Permits
Appy for an NPDES Permit
2. Nutrient Management Plans
Develop and implement a nutrient management plan.
AVOIDING "DEFINED MEDIUM" CAFO STATUS
- Eliminate any condition which meets the discharge criteria
|
| Animal Type |
Number of Animals |
|
Beef cattle
|
300 to 999 |
Cow/ Calf Pairs
(until weaning) |
300 to 999 |
| Veal |
300 to 999 |
| Mature Dairy Cattle |
200 to 699 |
| Dairy Heifers |
300 to 699 |
| Swine (55 lbs or more) |
750 to 2,499 |
| Swine (less than 55lbs) |
3,000 to 9,999 |
| Turkeys |
16,500 to 54,999 |
Laying hens or broilers
(liquid manure system) |
9,000 to 29,999 |
Laying Hens
(other than liquid manure system) |
25,000 to 81,999 |
Chickens
(except laying hens) |
37,500 to 124,999 |
Ducks
(liquid manure system) |
1,500 to 4,999 |
Ducks
(other than liquid manure systems) |
10,000 to 29,999 |
| Sheep or lambs |
3,000 to 9,999 |
| Horses |
150 to 499 |
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NPDES Permit
The discharge of a pollutant, through a discrete conveyance such as a pipe,
ditch or channel, to surface water bodies is known as a “point source discharge”.
The federal Clean Water Act requires the EPA to regulate point source discharges
by issuing National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permits.
A NPDES permit sets requirements to protect water quality such as discharge
limits, management practices and record keeping requirements. http://www.epa.gov/region1/npdes/index.html.
A NPDES CAFO permit will require an operation to meet certain conditions for the production and land application areas. Typically a permit will require that a farmer to
- implement a nutrient management plan
- submit annual reports to the EPA
- keep the permit current until the operation is no longer a CAFO
- keep records of nutrient management practices for at least 5 years
A NPDES CAFO permit is a document which is available for public viewing.
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Nutrient Management Plan
The NMP is intended to limit the CAFO's impact on surface water and must
describe how the operation will manage nutrients and waste in terms of
storage, management of dead animals, clean water management, excluding
animals from water, chemical handling, runoff, testing, land application,
record keeping. The NMP requirements are designed to be consistent with
the NRCS CNMP Technical Guidance.
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Process Wastewater
Process wastewater is water used directly or indirectly in the operation
of an AFO for any or all of the following:
- spillage or overflow from animal or poultry watering systems
- washing, cleaning or flushing pens, barns, manure pits, or other facilities
- direct contact swimming, washing, or spray cooling of animals
- dust control
Process wastewater also includes any water that comes into contact with
raw materials, products, or by products including manure, litter, feed,
milk, eggs and bedding. Leachate from silage and feed storage areas would
be considered process wastewater. Also runoff from fields where manure
has not been applied according to a nutrient management plan meeting NRCS
standards would meet the definition.
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