The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is currently accepting public comments on a proposed new rule which could increase the amount of information owners of concentrated animal feeding operations (CAFOs) report.The rule was published in the Federal Register on Oct. 21. According to the rule summary, "The purpose of this co-proposal is to improve and restore water quality by collecting facility-specific information that would improve EPA's ability to effectively implement the NPDES program and to ensure that CAFOs are complying with the authority of CWA section 308 to obtain certain identifying information from all CAFOs."
The proposal contains two options regarding which CAFOs would be required to submit information to EPA. One option would require every CAFO in the United States to report this information to EPA, unless states with authorized NPDES programs choose to provide this information on behalf of the CAFOs in their state. The second option would require CAFOs in "focus watersheds" that have water quality concerns associated with CAFOs to report information to EPA.
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Posted 11/10/2011
