Animal Waste Management (AWM) System - New and Improved - A tool for evaluating and designing animal waste storage facilities

摘要

As an alternative to obtaining an NPDES permit, the U.S. EPA's 2008 Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations (CAFO) rule includes a process that allows a CAFO to self-certify as a "no potential discharge" facility. Under this provision, the CAFO operator certifies that the CAFO does not discharge or propose to discharge during any rainfall event, either chronic or catastrophic, by signing a certification statement and submitting it to the EPA. In comparison to the process involved in applying for and obtaining an NPDES permit, this easier, cost-saving self-certification option may be attractive to CAFO operators However, to take advantage of the "no potential discharge" option, CAFO operators need software tools that can help them evaluate their CAFO's production area, its design and construction, its operating and maintenance procedures, and its nutrient management plan (NMP). The newly upgraded Animal Waste Management (AWM) system is one such tool that can help CAFO operators determine whether or not they should pursue self-certification.