ANDERSON — State environmental officials have adopted new regulations for confined animal feeding operations, which went into effect July 1.
The new rules were adopted by the Indiana Department of Environmental Management, environmental groups and animal agriculture producers.
Under the new rules producers are required to change their record-keeping and manure management practices, according to Purdue University nutrient management specialist Tamilee Nunnich.
The new rules primarily affect confined feeding operations, known as CFOs, and concentrated animal feeding operations, known as CAFOs.
Under Indiana law, any animal feeding operation engaged in the confined feeding of at least 300 cattle, 500 horses, 600 hogs or sheep, or 30,000 fowl, such as chickens or turkey, are considered confined feeding operations.
All concentrated feeding operations are also classified as confined feeding operations but generally involve a larger number of animals, and are subject to more stringent regulations, Nennich said.
Under the new rules, these producers will have the option of continuing to operate under their current regulatory scheme, or with new confined feeding permits.
The new rules affect thousands of dairy and meat producers across the state, but will impact only 12 farming operations in Madison County, Nennich said.
In most circumstances under the new regulations, manure application on frozen and snow-covered ground won’t be allowed, and phosphorus will have to be reduced.
High levels of phosphorus have been associated with environmentally damaging algae blooms in the Gulf of Mexico and other bodies of water.
Josh Trenary, director of business development for Indiana Pork producers, said regulations covering confined feeding operations have been in effect since the 1970s.
He said the new regulations were crafted because of a federal court case in 2011.
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