Extension > Agriculture > Dairy Extension > Manure > Milk house wastewater and clean air regulations
Milk house wastewater and clean air regulations
Where does your milk house wastewater go?
NO! |
YES! |
|
|
|
|
|
MPCA 7020 Rules
Prohibit
- Discharge to waters of the State
- Polluting waters of the State
- Discharge to road ditches
Allow
- Land application
- Infiltration fields
- Other
Treatment options
- Short- or long-term storage with land application
- Septic tank with
- Bark bed or strips
- Aerobic treatment unit to trenches
- Gravel filter to trenches
- Irrigation
- Flocculator
- Constructed wetland
Carver & Wright Co.
- EPA 319 funding through MPCA from 2001 to 2005
- Installed eight systems with septic tanks and
- Bark bed or strips
- Aerobic treatment with discharge
- Aerobic treatment with drip distribution
- Irrigation
- 50 to 130 cows, no parlors
- Costs $6,000 to $13,000
Observations
- Water use highly variable from farm to farm
- Organic loading rates higher than expected
Water use -
3 to 9 gal/day-cow
Organic load (BOD5) -
490 to 3,100 mg/L
Systems cannot treat waste milk
- Biological Oxygen Demand (BOD5)
- Milk house wastewater ~ 500 to 3,400 mg/L
- Milk ~ 100,000 mg/L (Wright & Graves, 1998)
Scum after 5 weeks:
Bark bed / strips
- Work well
- Good wastewater distribution needed
Irrigation
- Good drain back in cold weather
- Flat area without runoff
- Odors possible
Aerobic Systems
Reduce organic loading but not to discharge limit (25 mg/L BOD5)
Winona & Goodhue Co.
- EPA 319 funding through MPCA from 2004 to 2007
- Four systems in each county
- All with septic tanks and either
- Bark bed
- Aerobic treatment units with trenches
- Gravel filter with trenches, or
- Irrigation
- 50 to 155 cows, two with parlors
- Estimated costs $6,000 to $14,000
Producers can
- Look for tours in SE MN
- Check web site:www.bae.umn.edu/extens/milkhouse
- Down the road:
- Visit SWCD & NRCS
Acknowledge
Cooperating dairy producers:
- University of Minnesota Extension
- EPA 319 Grants through MPCA
- Carver, Wright, Winona, Goodhue Co.
- Bevens Creek and Crow River Watersheds
- NRCS, SWCD, BWSR
- Bongards’ Creameries
- UM Agricultural Experiment Station
Clean Air Regulations
Air Quality Issues
EPA Clean Air Act
MN Air Emissions
EPA Emissions reporting
EPA – Animal Agriculture consent agreement
EPA Clean Air Act
- National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS)
California San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District air permits
Western United Dairymen
NAAQS: primary standards
- Six principal pollutants
- Carbon monoxide, Lead, Nitrogen dioxide, Particulate matter (PM10, PM2.5), Ozone, and Sulfur Oxides
- Regulated for:
- Public health
- Public welfare, visibility, damage to animals, crops, vegetation, and buildings
- Non-attainment areas and states
San Joaquin Valley
- Non-attainment
Ozone (8 hr)
- Ozone
- (1 hr)
- PM10
- Control emissions
- Dairy emissions
- Dust - PM
- Ammonia – PM precursor
- VOC – Ozone
Issues & Controversy
- Emissions data needed
- California
- Nationally
- Settlement reached
- Permitting continues
- Scientific advisory group
NAAQS in MN
- Minnesota is an attainment state
- San Joaquin Valley air permits are not likely for MN dairy producers.
MN Air Permits
- Potential to emit (PTE) regulated
- Criteria pollutants
- VOC, CO, NOx – 100 tons/yr
- Sulfur dioxide – 50 tons/yr
- Particulate matter – 25 tons/yr
- Hazardous air pollutants (HAPs)
- 188 compounds based on health hazards
- 10 tons/yr each
- 25 tons/yr combined
- Probably not needed
- Dairy producers probably do not have potential to emit enough criteria pollutants or HAPs
EPA Emissions Reporting
- EPA Superfund Program - Comprehensive Environmental Response Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA)
- EPA Toxic Release Inventory - Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act (EPCRA)
CERCLA & EPCRA
- Report if emissions above “reportable
quantity” (RQ) in 24 hours
- Example 24 hour RQs:
- Ammonia – 100 lb Hydrogen sulfide – 100 lb
- Methane – 10,000 lb
- Extensive list of compounds
Will MN dairy producers need to comply with CERCLA and EPCRA reporting rules?
Probably yes.
What herd size is expected to require CERCLA and EPCRA reporting?
- 200 to 500 cows or more (Gooch & Czymmek, 2004)
- 100 to 120 cows (Gooch, 2004)
Emissions Data Lacking
- Emissions data for animal agriculture is limited
- Emissions estimates need to be “process-based” (National Academy of Science)
Failure to comply
- Fines up to $32,500 per day when emissions exceeded RQ levels and reports were not made
EPA – Animal Agriculture
- Consent Agreement
Safe Harbors
Air Emissions Consent
Animal Feeding Operations Compliance Agreement & Final Order
Consent Agreement
- National animal agriculture / EPA effort to collect emissions data
- http://www.prodairyfacilities.cornell.edu click on “Air Emissions”
- Announcement expected soon
- Swine and egg layer industries are expected to participate
- Other industries are uncertain
Should the dairy industry get involved in the Consent Agreement to develop emissions data?
- Probably yes
Emissions research
- MN leading six state effort (MN, IN, IA, IL, NC, TX)
- USDA-IFAFS funded
- Mechanically ventilated animal facilities – no dairy
Clean air regulations will impact dairy industry
- EPA reporting requirements (CERCLA and EPCRA)
- Emissions data lacking
- Consent agreement opportunity
More Information
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Minnesota Pollution Control Agency
Pro dairy facilities-Cornell University
Western United Dairymen
