Alyssa Dodd, Penn State Extension Associate
Robert E. Graves, Agricultural, Biological,
and Engineering Extension
In mid-December 2002, the U.S. Environmental
Protection Agency (EPA) .released its court man
dated revisions to the Concentrated Animal Feed
ing Operation (CAFO) rule. These are the first
major changes to the CAFO regulations since the
Federal Clean Water Act was passed in the 1970’5.
The rules include changes to the National Pollutant
Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permitting
regulations and technology requirements. EPA esti
mates the new rules apply to approximately 15,500
livestock operations (dairy, swine, chicken, turkey,
beef, veal, horse, sheep, duck) across the country.
Nationwide, approximately 3,500 mature dairy and
250 heifer-raising operations are affected.
Similar to the existing CAFO program, any
Animal Feeding Operation (AFO) that meets cer
tain criteria will be classified as a CAFO. A mature
dairy cow or heifer-raising operation is an AFO if
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animals are confined for at least 45 days in a 12-
month period and there’s no grass or other vegeta
tion in the confinement area during the normal
growing season. EPA is continuing to focus on large
CAFOs (approximately 700-plus mature dairy cows
or 1,000-plus heifers) and medium CAFOs (approx
imately 200-plus mature cows or 300-plus heifers).
Permitting authorities also retain the power to des
ignate any size AFO a CAFO if the operation signif
icantly contributes to water quality impairment.
The Pennsylvania Department of Environmental
Protection (DEP) is responsible for enforcing CAFO
regulations in Pennsylvania. DEP will be working
with EPA to determine what changes will be made
to the existing Pennsylvania CAFO regulations to
comply with the new federal rules. The new rules
will affect existing permitted CAFOs once the
permit expires a new permit is applied for and
issued. CAFOs applying for a permit for the first
time should contact DEP for more information.
Pennsylvania will likely have approximately one
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