est Management Practices             (BMPs) have been             developed and identified for all types of animal feeding operations. These are important practices, which contribute to the efficiency and productivity of the operation and safeguard environmental quality. This publication briefly explains the most important general BMPs for all AFOs and CAFOs and gives additional guidelines for dry litter/manure BMPs and liquid waste BMPs. The recommendations listed here do not include all needed practices or details and are intended only as a guide for operators to prepare their own complete checklist of BMPs for their operation. Publications providing more details on specific topics are available free from your county Extension office and NRCS. Operators should use these publications and consult specialists as necessary to make sure they are following proper procedures. Especially note:

     All animal feeding operators are required by federal and Alabama law and ADEM regulations to follow all BMPs that are relevant to their operation regardless of AFO/CAFO designation.
    

     CAFOs require the assistance of Qualified Credentialed Professionals (QCPs) with proven training and/or experience in the selection and application of BMPs to develop their Waste Management System Plan and Pollution Prevention Plan (PPP). The PPP, usually included in the WMSP, must include weekly, comprehensive inspections of all BMPs, annual QCP BMP evaluations, and professional engineer (PE) inspections of liquid systems, dams, et cetera every five years.

     Alabama’s National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) AFO/CAFO Rules adopted by the Alabama Department of Environmental Management (ADEM), effective April 1, 1999, define best management practices as “schedules of activities, prohibitions of practices, maintenance procedures, and other effective management practices that meet or exceed NRCS technical standards and guidelines, NRCS Comprehensive Nutrient Management Plan (CNMP) guidelines, and department requirements that are implemented to the maximum extent practicable to prevent or reduce pollutant discharges to waters of the state.

     “BMPs also include effective treatment requirements, operating procedures, and practices to control construction and operation, site runoff, spillage or leaks, sludge or waste/wastewater transport, storage, disposal or land application, dead animal disposal, or drainage from raw material handling and storage.

     “BMPs also mean full implementation and continued maintenance of appropriate structural and non-structural practices, and management strategies to minimize the introduction of pollutants to storm water and to treat storm water to remove pollutants to the maximum extent practicable prior to discharge.”

     AFO/CAFO farms that produce litter And manure have an opportunity to manage these by-products to their benefit. When applied to cropland, litter/manure can reduce the need for commercial fertilizer and greatly improve the soil tilth. If sold to neighboring farmers, it can generate income. Maintaining environmental quality also requires that litter/manure be applied under the following guidelines:

     Only on actively growing crops, and only in amounts that can be fully utilized before crop dies, is harvested, or becomes dormant (late November through February)

          Not on frozen or saturated soil, during rain, when the National Weather Service forecast/ extended forecast is for “more than 50 percent rain probability,” “rain likely,” “periods of rain,” or “occasional rain” within the next 3 days

          Not when wind is high or direction is toward neighboring farms and not on weekends

          Only on fields and in areas where there are adequate grass filter strips, riparian forest buffers, or distance from any water source and not on land with steep slopes or poor vegetative growth

          Only according to Auburn University Soil Lab recommended application rates, using correctly calibrated equipment

     Other important actions to take include informing neighbors of plans to apply litter/manure, covering trucks that haul litter/manure, soil testing at least every 3 years, and keeping records of when, where, and how much litter/manure was applied and/or sold (and to whom it was sold).

      Since land application can take place only under certain circumstances, the operator has decisions to make regarding storage. To protect the environment, especially water quality, all litter/manure that is stockpiled or retained onsite prior to land application must be (1) located with adequate separation from adjacent property and water sources, (2) stored under roof or plastic cover to protect from rainfall, and (3) placed on clay or concrete to prevent seepage into the ground.