11/18/05 Updated CAFO permit up for review

Washington Ag November 18, 2005 A series of hearings beginning in November will outline what some animal feeding operations must do to protect water quality under a new general permit being proposed by the Washington Department of Ecology. Ecology public information officer Glenn Cooper explains what the permit would require. Cooper: "It will be requiring these feeding operations like cattle feedlots, dairies, poultry or pig producers, to be doing some management plants on their waste and we have a permit, draft now that we have issued. So we just want to go out and get the perspective and opinions from the public and see what ideas they have for the permit." Ecology proposed a first draft in December 2004 and held hearings in January of this year, but a court decision in February affected the federal CAFO rule and this new proposal reflects changes from the court decision and the first comment period. Workshops beginning at seven p.m. followed by formal public hearings will be held in Mt. Vernon November 21st at the Skagit County PUD, in Longview November 22nd at the Cowlitz County PUD and in Yakima December 1st at Terrace Heights Civic Center. Written comments can be made to Ecology through December 5th. I'm Bob Hoff.