Livestock Permitting Issues

The Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (EGLE) finalized a new General Permit for large livestock operations in Michigan on April 1, 2020 as part of its normal five-year permitting cycle. It makes several significant changes from the 2015 livestock permit, and will take effect when each permitted farm receives its Certificate of Coverage:

• Farms can determine phosphorus application rates using the Michigan Phosphorus Risk Assessment or a Bray P1 test. If the Bray P1 test is used, the maximum soil concentration rate has been reduced by 10% in most watersheds and 20% in watersheds with a nutrient Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL).
• Farms cannot apply manure closer than 100 feet from surface waters and within that setback must plant a 35-foot vegetated buffer unless they receive permission from EGLE for alternate application methods.
• Potential needs for additional nitrogen application beyond university recommendations must be included in the farm’s Comprehensive Nutrient Management Plan.
• Farms in watersheds with an E coli, biota, or dissolved oxygen Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) must have an approved plan for reducing the risk of manure runoff.
• Storage structure volumes must be calculated according to NRCS requirements: evaporation can be considered and structures must assume 6 inches of residual solids unless the farm demonstrates they can remove more when they clean the structure.
• Manure application is prohibited from January through March unless the field has less than 2 inches of frost or 4 inches of snow, soil test phosphorus is below 68 parts per million (ppm), the farm provides 24-hour advance notice to EGLE, and the manure is immediately incorporated. During the rest of the year manure may be surface applied on frozen ground using EGLE’s technical standard for frozen ground application.
• Transfer or manifesting manure is prohibited from January through March unless it is going out of state, to a digester, composter, or other treatment, or being staged for later land application. During the rest of the year, manifested manure must be reported with the field location, application amounts, and a soil test from the field.
• Paperwork increases from annual reporting to quarterly reporting.

Contact: Laura Campbell | 517-679-5332