How the Alabama Certified Animal Waste Vendor Program Works

Operators of AFOs or concentrated animal feeding operations (CAFOs) are encouraged to use a registered CAWV to transport animal wastes from the production site to other locations. The CAWV offers a valuable service to AFO and CAFO operators by taking on the responsibility of keeping accurate records of what happens to animal wastes taken off-site. Additionally, they assume responsibility for compliance with ADEM and ADAI regulations and legal liability for any environmental consequences of improper management or application of such wastes. In fact, the ADEM AFO rule states, “Unless responsibility for wastes is properly assumed by a CAWV in writing, to the extent allowed by law, the owner/operator shall remain responsible for the proper disposition of the waste” (335-6-7-.26(3)).

Finding a CAWV

How does a person become certified?

After receiving exam results, ADAI issues a pocket card with a certification number and expiration date. Certification is effective for up to two years, but must be renewed 30 days before or after the pocket card expiration date.

After initial certification, a CAWV must maintain appropriate records and provide reports as requested by ADAI, provide professional services, and protect the environment and public health in all operations.

What are the responsibilities and liabilities of a CAWV?

What is a nutrient/wastemanagement plan?

• Assessment of land application sites for potential of nitrogen and phosphorus movement into water, including a soil map, hydrologic soil groups, permeability of the soil surface, and location of streams, sinkholes, and wells. The Phosphorus Index of Alabama, should be run on all fields or parts of fields that will receive animal manure, poultry litter, compost, or other organic by-products.

• Buffer requirements and available acreage, also referred to as spreadable acres, is one of the more critical calculations in planning land application of animal waste. Considering minimum application buffers reduces actual available acreage. The field area minus these buffer areas is the available acres where animal waste can be spread.

• Description of land use, including crop sequences and crop management.

• A nutrient budget that accounts for nitrogen and phosphorus, including soil test results (every 3 years), sources of nutrients, and application rates.

• Time of applications.

• Erosion and runoff control plans.

• Is there a nutrient management plan (NMP) available for the fields where I am supposed to spread the litter?

• If not, can the operator/manager provide an aerial photograph, current spreadable acres, and a current soil test report for the fields where the waste is to be spread?

If a nutrient/waste management plan is not available

The basic steps in developing a skeleton plan are as follows:

• With landowner permission, get an aerial photo (map) of the receiving fields from the Farm Services Agency (FSA) office.

• Mark all the features, such as wells, ditches, springs, creeks, rivers, public use areas, etc. on the aerial map, with the landowner’s help.

• Make sure the buffers and filter strips for each receiving field are correct and mark them on the map.

• Use the spreadable acres shortcut for “N Rate Application” (0.6 times FSA acreage, stay 200’ from water) or the “P Rate Application” (0.7 times FSA acreage, stay 50’ from water) to determine the spreadable acres in each field.

• Plan animal waste/litter application only to the spreadable acres (0.6 or 0.7 times FSA acreage) based on the crop growing, nutrient content of animal manure/litter, and Auburn University Soils Lab recommendations. Use soil tests that are no older than three years for each field.

• Calibrating equipment

• Transporting waste (no road spills, etc.)

• Using buffers

• Storing wastes, if needed, either temporarily or long-term in field, barn, etc.

• Timing and recording waste application and the NOAA weather forecast for the day of application

• Making inspections during application

Delivering litter without spreading

The CAWV must find out ahead of delivery if the customer has a proper facility (e.g., dry stack barn) or a proper site for temporary storage (e.g., under cover). When delivering poultry litter/animal manure by-products without spreading, the CAWV must have the landowner/operator sign a routine receipt with a statement that indicates he or she understands the BMP requirements and accepts responsibility and liability for the waste being delivered. They can use the “R-9 Poultry Litter/Animal Manure By-Product Responsibility/Liability TRANSFER FORM (June 2006)” found on the Extension Web site.

Applying animal manure/litter using BMPs

Considering minimum application buffers will reduce the actual acreage available for application. Some ADEM requirements and NRCS buffer guidelines are 100 feet for non-operator-owned dwellings, 50 feet for solid wastes, 100 feet for wastewater along public roads, 300 feet upslope and 150 feet downslope for wellheads, and 50 feet for sinkholes and steep slopes. Wetlands, streams, and other drainageways require 50-foot buffers (100 feet for Outstanding National Resource Waters or Outstanding Alabama Waters). While the AFO rule allows wastes to be applied up to, but not over, property lines, the BMP is to stay back at least 25 feet.

One critical issue when land-applying animal waste is the potential for odor complaints from neighboring residents and neighbors who are just concerned about the environment. To maintain good relations with neighbors, the CAWV should notify them of the plan to spread waste and follow these guidelines to reduce odor problems.

• Apply early in the week (avoid weekends, when more people are at home).

• Apply early in the morning.

• Avoid applying on days when winds are blowing toward neighboring homes.

• Irrigate or spread on days with low humidity.

• Inject liquid wastes.

CAWV records

• Identification of each land application field site (ownership, total acres, net acres, crop grown, type of waste and nutrient analysis, rate per acre of waste application, date of application) and accounts of incidents such as spills or other discharges, along with descriptions of discharge quantities and their pollution potential

• Equipment inspections and maintenance activities, including inspections during application

• Any other general observations that might affect proper application techniques (temperature, wind direction, etc.)

• Delivering litter without spreading (explain ADEM rule on storing and applying animal waste).

These records must be kept for three years and be made available to ADEM and ADAI upon request. More information on records the CAWV should keep can be found on the CAWV Certified Animal Waste Vendor homepage on the Extension Web site.

Who do I contact for more information about the CAWV program?

Mr. Ray Hilburn
Animal Industry Division
Alabama Department of Agriculture & Industries
P.O. Box 3336
Montgomery, AL 36109-0336
(334) 240-7255

For information on AFO/CAFO rules, contact:

Permits/Compliance Unit
Field Operations Division
Alabama Department of Environmental Management
P.O. Box 301463
Montgomery, AL 36130-1463
(334) 394-4311
Fax: (334) 394-4326
mnps@adem.state.al.us

For best management practices, contact your Animal Science and Forages or Agricultural Crops regional Extension agent, Soil & Water Conservation District office, or the NRCS.

Ted W. Tyson, P.E., C.I.D., Extension Biosystems Engineer, Associate Professor, Agricultural Engineering, and Charles C. Mitchell Jr., Extension Agronomist, Professor, Agronomy and Soils, both at Auburn University.

For more information, contact your county Extension office. Visit http://www.aces.edu/counties or look in your telephone directory under your county's name to find contact information. Issued in furtherance of Cooperative Extension work in agriculture and home economics, Acts of May 8 and June 30, 1914, and other related acts, in cooperation with the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The Alabama Cooperative Extension System (Alabama A&M University and Auburn University) offers educational programs, materials, and equal opportunity employment to all people without regard to race, color, national origin, religion, sex, age, veteran status, or disability.