Ala. Admin. Code r. 420-3-6-.11

Current through Register Vol. 43, No. 1, October 31, 2024

Section 420-3-6-.11 - Annual Crop Management Plan

An annual cropping plan shall be prepared by a Certified Crop Advisor (CCA) to clearly show how the applicant will use the site for land application of septage during the 365-day period. This information shall be submitted with initial application information and updated during the permit renewal period.

(1) The following information is required for all annual crop management plans:

(a) Site name and location.

(b) Cropping year.

(c) Field or zone identification. Zones should be comprised of soils in the same soil group or that have the same management practices and/or application rates.

(d) Total acreage of each zone.

(e) Type of crop(s) to be grown within each zone.

(f) Soil fertility test with pH and nutrient recommendations for crop(s) to be grown.

(g) Realistic yield rates considering productivity of soil type and management.

(h) Agronomic application rates for crop(s) to be grown.

1. The annual application rate for septage applied to agricultural land, forest land, or other non-public contact sites shall not exceed the amount as determined by the following formula:

AAR = N/0.0026

Where:

AAR = Annual Application Rate in gallons per acre per 365-day period.

N = Amount of nitrogen in pounds per acre per 365-day period required by the crop or vegetation grown on the land divided by number of crop growing season months.

(i) In the case of portable toilet and marine sanitation waste, which shall be pretreated in accordance with Rule 420-3-6-.15(2)(a), the AAR shall be determined using the formula above, with 0.015 in place of the value 0.0026, to represent the higher concentration of nitrogen known to occur in those wastes.

(ii) All septage, or mixtures of septage and portable toilet and marine sanitation waste, that meets the requirements of Rule 420-3-6-.15(2)(a), shall be spread uniformly over the approved area of the land application facility to ensure that no part receives waste in excess of the AAR.

(i) Planting/reseeding dates and harvest dates. If forage crops are grown, the months of growing season for each crop should be indicated (cool season versus warm season grasses). See 420-3-6-.15 for harvest restrictions.

(j) Beginning and end period of septage application.

(k) Sources of nutrients other than septage that will be applied.

(l) Proposed period of grazing of forage crops. See 420-3-6-.15 for grazing restrictions.

(2) The pH of the soil shall be maintained at a pH level amenable for growing the cover crop(s).

(3) The pH shall be measured by annual soil test and reported in the annual cropping plan.

(4) Annual soil testing shall be conducted to determine levels of arsenic, cadmium, chromium, copper, lead, mercury, nickel, selenium, and zinc.

(a) No person shall land apply septage to a site that exceeds the annual pollutant loading rate in Table 4 for arsenic, cadmium, chromium, copper, lead, mercury, nickel, selenium, and zinc.

(b) No person shall land apply septage to a site that exceeds the cumulative pollutant loading rate in Table 4 for arsenic, cadmium, chromium, copper, lead, mercury, nickel, selenium, and zinc.

Ala. Admin. Code r. 420-3-6-.11

Filed: September 20, 1989. Repealed. Filed: November 19, 1991. New Rule: Filed: October 20, 1994; effective November 24, 1994.

Adopted by Alabama Administrative Monthly Volume XXXIX, Issue No. 03, December 31, 2020, eff. 2/14/2021.

Author: Thad Pittman, Richard Smith, Boyd Rogers

Statutory Authority:Code of Ala. 1975, §§ 22-2-2(6), 22-10-1 et seq., 22-20-5, 22-26-1, 22-26-2, 22-26-3.