Region 8
Serving Colorado, Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, Utah, Wyoming and 27 Tribal Nations
Animal Feeding Operations
2008 CAFO Regulations
The 2008 final CAFO regulations revise portions of the 2003 CAFO regulations to address the Second Circuit court's vacature and remand orders in its decision in
Waterkeeper Alliance et al. v. EPA
.
2008 Final CAFO Rule (PDF) (70 pp, 1,368K)
2008 Final CAFO Rule Fact Sheet (PDF) (2 pp, 213K)
Animal Feeding Operations (AFOs) are places where animals are kept and raised in confined situations. AFOs that meet the regulatory definition of a concentrated animal feeding operation (CAFO) may be regulated under EPA's National Point Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permitting program. This program helps ensure that animal waste and wastewater are properly managed and do not enter water bodies from spills or breaks of waste storage structures and the non-agricultural application of manure to crop land.
There are approximately 1,000 CAFOs in Region 8. All Region 8 states - Colorado, Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, Utah and Wyoming - have been authorized to implement the NPDES program and issue permits to these CAFOs. EPA Region 8 issues NPDES permits to CAFOs in Indian country.
An AFO is defined as a lot or facility where the following conditions are met:
- Animals have been, are, or will be stabled or confined and fed or maintained for a total of 45 days or more in any 12-month period, and
- Crops, vegetation, forage growth, or post-harvest residues are not sustained in the normal growing season over any portion of the lot or facility.
How many animals constitute a Large, Medium or Small CAFO?
EPA refers to the actual number of animals at an operation to determine if it is a CAFO. For example, 1000 or more cattle or cow/calf pairs is defined by EPA as a Large CAFO.
Click here for a summary table showing the exact number of various types of animals in EPA's defintion of Large, Medium, and Small CAFOs (PDF, 25K, about PDF files)
Who Needs A Permit in EPA Region 8 Indian Country?
Under the 2008 final CAFO rule, any CAFO that discharges or proposes to discharge is required to seek permit coverage. EPA is clarifying that "a CAFO proposes to discharge if it is designed, constructed, operated, or maintained such that a discharge will occur."Application forms for a CAFO permit
Permit and compliance information for permitted CAFOs will be available on EPA's Online Tracking Information System (OTIS).
Regional Contacts
|
EPA Region 8 CAFO NPDES Permits Program
Qian Zhang zhang.qian@epa.gov EPA Region 8 (8P-W-WW) 1595 Wynkoop Street Denver, CO 80202-1129 303-312-6267 |
EPA Region 8 CAFO NPDES Technical Enforcement Program
Seth Draper draper.seth@epa.gov EPA Region 8 (8ENF-W-NP) 1595 Wynkoop Street Denver, CO 80202-1129 303-312-6334 |
State Contacts in Region 8
|
COLORADO
Ron Jepson ron.jepson@state.co.us Water Quality Control Division Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment 4300 Cherry Creek Drive South Denver, CO 80246-1530 (303) 692-3520/3523 |
MONTANA
Kari Smith karsmith@mt.gov Water Protection Bureau Montana Department of Environmental Quality PO Box 200901 Helena, Montana 59620 (406) 444-1454 |
NORTH DAKOTA
Gary D. Bracht gbracht@ state.nd.us North Dakota Department of Health Water Quality Division 1200 Missouri Ave P.O. Box 5520 Bismarck, ND 58506-5520 (701) 328-5210 |
|
SOUTH DAKOTA
Kent Woodmansey kent.woodmansey@state.sd.us Surface Water Quality Program Joe Foss Building 523 East Capitol Avenue Pierre, SD 57501-3182 (605) 773-3351/4609 |
UTAH
Don Hall dghall@utah.gov Division of Water Quality Utah Department of Environmental Quality P.O. Box 144870 Salt Lake City, Utah 84114-4870 (801) 538-9251 |
WYOMING
Brian Lovett blovet@state.wy.us Water Quality Division Wyoming Department of Environmental Quality Herschler Building, 4th Floor West 122 W. 25th Street Cheyenne, WY 82002 (307) 777-7347 |