Itate, Industry Environmental Programs (Continued from Page A 22) flucem, especially the way the reposed Unified Strategy would letennine which farms are to be considered for mandatory com prehensive nutrient management planning approved by the federal government “There may be some merit to rising animal numbers as (a deter mining threshhold for considera tion for mandatory planning) as CAFOs are calculated, rather than using the density as we do in Pen nsylvania (average annualized ani mal weights pa acre suitable to receive manure nutrients),” he offered. “But it appears that using an oversimplified, inaccurate, unre presentative, inflexible method of jffirmining animal units is a step backwards from the system used here in Pennsylvania, called the Animal Equivalent Units (AEUs),” Robinson said. 4*** * » ■' ✓ 4 n« *^***^^l*Bl M.M. WEAVER & SON ’ N. Qroffctale Rd, Leote, PA 17540 5 (717)866-2321 ‘ $ A * „ MEYERS % - IMPLEMENTS, INC, 400 North Antrim Way , ;Qmencaai|e, PA 17226 "* (717)987,2178. SCHAEFFLER EQUIPMENT Pitman.,PAl7964 (717) 646,1120 PEOPLE’S SALES & SERVICE Oakland Mills, PA 17076 (717) 463-2735 “(Pennsylvania’s) system has been recognized by EPA as being much more accurate than their method,” he said. “The excuse (for using the federal method) that it's the same all over the country gives little comfort when the plans are to consider revisions in a few years, adding more confusion. “Why not start right the first time?” Robinson also questioned the wisdom of using water quality monitoring data in a watershed as an indicator of whether all farms in that watershed jould be consid ered a CAPO and be required to have permitting and additional restrictions. He further questioned the use of fertilizer sales in the county as a source of data for farm-fertilizer For watershed monitoring data indicating high nutrient flows, he explained that sources of nutrients r” 4 . V* w LEBANON VALLEY IMPLEMENT CO. , TOO,E lindan st. . R|chtamtPA;)7!pB7 ; (717)868-7818 &W.Q£O EQUIPMENT CO. 5149 Cap Stine Rd. Frederick, MD 21701 Waatmlnaler, MO (410)848-4585 MILLER EQUIPMENT CO. Stauffer Road BechtetevHte, PA 19505. (610)645-2911 \K •■ fra MmV * » x t,*'- >< %\ t'v.A V* *» </*♦ ~ i NORTHEAST DIST. & EQUIP. Rt, 106 West Clifford, PA 18413 (717)222-8090 (717)222-9020 CJ.WONSIDLER 1975 frumbauersville Rd. * Quakertown, PA 18951 (215) 536-1935 PRANK RYMON& SONS, INC. 399.RoutS 31 South Washmgfon,NJo7BB2 (908)888-1464 are not known just by testing water levels, and that just because the drainage of a watershed indicates nutrient pollution, there are many other potential sources that should be considered, not just farms. He said the federal proposal also seems to put small farms at higher risk of failure because of extra, unecessary costs. The result could easily be to encourage the develop ment of large, concentrated animal operations. Another speaker was Douglas Goodlander, on behalf of Pennsyl vania’s State Conservation Com mission (SCC), which currently oversees Pennsylvania’s nutrient management laws and enforce ment with help from both the state Department of Environmental Pro tection and the state Department of Agriculture. He said the SCC is still review ing the proposal and will provide formal written comments before *i * i. i > <*, v h „>*, J v* *v > , *4* ■**' ' '.it?* t n .V ; *vs»*v <A 7t<-> zmW ECKROTH BROS. FARM EQUIPMENT RD#2,Bo*24A New Ringgold, PA 17960 MW843:2131 4910 Kemsvill* Fid. «OrefleW, PA 18069 (610)366-2095 307 Edgar Ave. Bloomsburg, PA 17815 (717)784-5217 TEST DRIVE ONE TODAY! MASSEY-FERGUSON the Jan. 19 deadline. “Our general comments include that the commission is pleased with the general direction of the AFO strategy initiative, in that it specifically focuses regulatory activities on operations thought to have a high pollution potential. “It relies on a voluntary incentives-based approach to encourage the remainder of far mers to implement nutrient man agement plans," he said. .-“This is similar to Pennsylvani a’s nutrient management program ..." he said. He also said that the philoso phies of the programs ate some what similar, although: • Pennsylvania’s mandatory planning requirements differ markedly from the federal propos al in that the federal government wants to include animal feeding as part of the overall plan, and Pen nsylvania’s planning doesn’t go so far as to restrict a farmer to feeding according to an inflexible plan; f‘%\ SCHICK ENTERPRISES Quality Turn Key Hog Buildings „ w * Full Service Company 610-285-6985,1-800-527-7675 Lancaster Farming, Saturday, December 12, 1998-A33 * Competitive Pricing * Contracts Available (Nursery, Finishing, Sow Units) Call Us Today Bring Profit Back To Your Farm Kutztown, PA •Pennsylvania has been a leader in working toward developing bet ter feeding programs to reduce manure escapes of nutrients (they cost money and if they aren’t used by the animal they cost more money and detract from profits.) Also, be said that the SCC doesn’t believe that the Unified Strategy’s reliance of existing programs that provide cost-sharing funds for farms to implement environmental management prac tices and devices is well considered. (The Strategy more or less broadly suggests that funds from existing federal programs could be diverted and earmarked for the national nutrient management strategy.) “We do not believe that (USDA’s) EQIP (Environmental Quality Incentive Program) and other federal funding programs at their current funding levels will provide adequate resources to (Turn to Page ASS) * Personalized ntion
Significant historical Pennsylvania newspapers