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DEP Publishes Revised NPDES General Permit For Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations For Comment

The Department of Environmental Protection published notice in the January 20 PA Bulletin proposing changes in the PAG-12 NPDES General Permit for the Operation Of Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations.

DEP published not only the draft permit, but also related documents, including the notice of intent, checklist, fact sheet, annual report and instructions.

“The proposed changes to the PAG-12 will streamline and clear up some requirements for farmers, while also improving water quality by strengthening protections for storage and leak detection,” said DEP Secretary Patrick McDonnell. “These new requirements are designed to make it easier for farmers to continue to be good stewards of the environment while operating their animal operations.”

The following significant changes are proposed for the PAG-12 General Permit and related documents:

-- The Notice of Intent (NOI) form and CAFO Annual Report form have been updated to address information requirements related to the United States Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) NPDES Electronic Reporting Rule (eReporting Rule). In addition, instructions have been developed to help permittees understand how to complete the CAFO Annual Report.

-- The General Permit would require the submission of CAFO Annual Reports to the Department electronically upon receipt of written notification from the Department to implement eReporting Rule requirements.

-- An NOI fee of $500 each year the CAFO operates under the PAG-12 General Permit.

-- The reporting period for the CAFO Annual Report would be changed from a calendar year to a ''crop year'' (that is, October 1—September 30).

-- Permittees with leak detection systems would need to collect a sample of drainage, if any, and analyze the sample for ammonia-nitrogen at a minimum frequency of once per year, and implement corrective action if the concentration of ammonia-nitrogen exceeds a threshold.

-- Permittees with earthen manure storage facilities would need to complete an annual inspection of the facilities and submit the results to the Department on a form supplied by the Department.

Click Here for a copy of the draft PAG-12 General Permit and related documents.

Interested persons may submit written comments on this Draft Technical Guidance Document through February 20, 2018. Commentators are encouraged to submit comments through the Department's eComment system or by e-mail to: ecomment@pa.gov.

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