Indiana Wet Weather Conditions

High winds and tornados have impacted many communities across Indiana lately, but heavy rain forecasts may be keeping dairy producers awake also. Attached is guidance from Indiana Department of Environment Management for those who may be experiencing dwindling waste storage capacities due to the excessive rainfall. Please be assured, IDEM is available to help and never hesitate to reach out to me if you need any assistance.

Below is a bulletin from IDEM that contains pertinent information.

The Indiana Department of Environmental Management’s (IDEM’s) Confined

Feeding Operations (CFO) Program recognizes the widespread precipitation across

the Midwest that may leave many of the State’s regulated farms with limited options for

storage and land application of manure.

In an effort to assist farms in minimizing the potential for release of manure from

farms and land application activities, IDEM recommends farms with a critical shortage

of storage capacity in their manure storage facilities contact their IDEM inspector to

discuss options for compliant storage and land application of manure. Farms should

first identify if there is available alternative manure storage capacity in approved

manure storage facilities in their area or if the manure can be marketed to other

parties. If manure is being managed in alternative manure storage facilities or

otherwise marketed, farms should record those activities in their CFO operating record.

If alternative manure storage in approved manure storage facilities or marketing

options are not available or feasible, the farm must notify IDEM staff of the need for

emergency measures. Emergency measures might include transfer to alternate

temporary manure storage facilities, constructing berms or secondary containment

around manure storage facilities, or construction of an emergency manure storage

facility. For an emergency manure storage facility defined at 327 IAC 19-2-28 that is a

pond, lagoon, or manure containment area, IDEM recommends it be constructed in an

area where soil permeability does not exceed 1 inch/hour according to the County Soil

Survey Maps available through the USDA Web Soil Survey website for the county

where the facility is located https://websoilsurvey.sc.egov.usda.gov/App/HomePage.htm). Alternatively, it may be constructed with a synthetic or compacted clay liner. All emergency manure storage facilities must be located where they meet the regulatory setbacks outlined in 327 IAC

19-12-3.

Emergency measures must be implemented only after consultation with IDEM

staff, and they must remain in place for no more than 90 days after the emergency is

abated.

The following information must be provided to the IDEM staff member/inspector

that receives the notification of the need for emergency measures, or the notification

will not be considered to be complete:

• The CFO owner’s name. (Person or entity to whom IDEM issued the CFO Approval)

• The CFO operation name.

• The CFO Farm ID number.

• The reason for the emergency measure.

• A brief description of the emergency measure being implemented.

• The estimated number of gallons of manure being managed through the use of the emergency measure.

The owner must document the emergency as well as actions taken to abate it,

and they must keep that information in the CFO’s operating record. IDEM will follow-up

in writing acknowledging the request to implement emergency measures.

To discuss alternative manure storage or marketing options or notify IDEM of the

need for emergency measures, please contact an IDEM staff member in one of the

following areas:

• CFO Compliance staff member assigned the region of the state within which the operation is located www.idem.IN.gov/cfo/files/contact_compliance_staff_map.pdf

• CFO Permit Staff member assigned https://www.in.gov/idem/cfo/files/contact_permits_staff_map.pdf ; or

• Outside of regular business hours, IDEM’s 24-Hour Emergency Spill Line, toll free at (888) 233-7745 or (317) 233-7745