Manure Management for Alberta's Feedlot Operations: Rules & Regulations

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Where there are livestock, there’s going to be manure. Tonnes of it, in fact. And while that “brown gold” may eventually make its way to neighbouring fields, all livestock owners, but especially feedlots, have to plan for manure management, storage and use.

Manure is rich in nutrients, but too much of a good thing is a bad thing, and rightly so there are rules and regulations around the storage and spread of this resource. The Agricultural Operations Practices Act (AOPA) was developed in 2002 to give the province of Alberta the responsibility to set and enforce manure management and issue permits for confined feeding operations (CFO).

Many know permits are required for CFOs that surpass threshold numbers of livestock and for operations with 500 tonnes (or more) of manure storage. But who handles applications? What further paperwork is required? And what are the options for manure storage and handling?

We tracked down Andy Cumming, director of field services for the National Resources Conservation Board (the organization responsible for administration, policy and reviews under AOPA) to get a better handle on the rules and regulations of manure management. You can catch that very interview — shot at the Alberta Beef Industry Conference in Red Deer — in the video below.

For more information, check out the National Resources Conservation Board and Alberta Agriculture’s 2008 Agricultural Operation Practices Act Reference Guide

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