Iowa Admin. Code r. 567-65.202

Current through Register Vol. 47, No. 8, October 30, 2024

Rule 567-65.202 - NPDES permits

(1)Existing AFOs not holding an NPDES permit. AFOs in existence prior to April 14, 2003, that were defined as CAFOs under rules that were in effect prior to April 14, 2003, but that have not obtained a permit, should have applied for an NPDES permit by April 14, 2003. AFOs in existence on April 14, 2003, that were not defined as CAFOs under rules that were in effect prior to April 14, 2003, shall apply for an NPDES permit no later than July 31, 2007.

(2)Expansion or modification of existing AFOs. A person intending to expand or modify an existing AFO that, upon completion of the expansion or modification, will be defined as a CAFO and if the operation discharges pollutants to waters of the United States shall apply for an NPDES permit at least 90 days prior to the scheduled expansion or modification. Operation of the expanded portion of the facility shall not begin until an NPDES permit has been issued.

(3)New AFOs. A person intending to construct a new AFO after July 22, 1987, or resuming a discontinued operation after 24 months or more, upon resumption or completion, will be defined as a CAFO and if the operation discharges pollutants to waters of the United States shall apply for an NPDES permit at least 180 days prior to the date operation of the animal feeding facility is scheduled. Operation of the facility shall not begin until an NPDES permit has been issued.

(4)Permits required as a result of departmental designation. An AFO that is required to apply for an NPDES permit as a result of departmental designation (in accordance with the provisions of rule 567-65.201 (455B,459A)) shall apply for an NPDES permit within 90 days of receiving written notification of the need to obtain a permit. Once application has been made, the AFO is authorized to continue to operate without a permit until the application has either been approved or disapproved by the department, provided that the owner or operator has submitted all requested information and promptly taken all steps necessary to obtain coverage.

(5)Application forms and requirements. An application for an NPDES permit shall be made on a form provided by the department. The application shall be complete and shall contain information required by the department. Applications shall include an NMP as required in rule 567-65.209 (455B,459A). Applications involving AT systems shall include results of predictive computer modeling as required by subrule 65.207(6). The application shall be signed and certified by the person who is legally responsible for the AFO and its associated manure or process wastewater control system.

(6)Compliance schedule. When necessary to comply with a standard that must be met at a future date, an NPDES permit shall include a schedule for modification of the permitted facility to meet the standard. The schedule shall not relieve the permittee of the duty to obtain a construction permit pursuant to rule 567-65.203(455B,459A).

(7)Permit conditions. NPDES permits shall contain conditions required by 40 CFR 122.41, monitoring conditions required by 40 CFR 122.48, and conditions considered necessary by the department to ensure compliance with all applicable rules of the department; to ensure that the production area and land application areas are operated and maintained as required by Iowa law; to protect the public health and beneficial uses of waters of the United States; and to prevent water pollution from manure storage or application operations. Any more stringent conditions of Iowa Code chapter 459A, subrule 62.4(12), and this chapter that apply to AFOs shall govern. For CAFOs that maintain cattle, swine, or poultry, the following applicable conditions shall be included:

a.NMP. Open feedlot CAFOs shall comply with the requirements of rule 567-65.209 (455B,459A) and any additional NMP requirements for CAFOs in these rules. CAFOs that seek to obtain coverage under an NPDES permit shall have an NMP developed and implemented upon the date of permit coverage.

b.Inspections and recordkeeping.

(1) Visual inspections. Routine visual inspections of the CAFO production area must be conducted, and at a minimum, the following must be included:

1. Weekly inspections of all storm water diversion, runoff diversion structures, and devices channeling contaminated storm water to the open feedlot operation structure.

2. Daily inspection of water lines, including drinking water or cooling water lines.

(2) Corrective actions. Any deficiencies found as a result of the inspections required in subparagraph 65.202(7)"b"(1) or as a result of the liquid level reporting required in paragraph 65.202(7)"e" must be corrected as soon as possible.

(3) The following records must be maintained on site for a period of five years from the date they are created and must be made available to the department upon request:

1. Records documenting the inspections required in subparagraph 65.202(7)"b"(1).

2. Records of weekly liquid level observations as required in paragraph 65.202(7)"e."

3. Records documenting any actions taken to correct deficiencies as required in subparagraph 65.202(7)"b"(2).

c.Transfer of manure, process wastewater, settled open feedlot effluent, settleable solids, or open feedlot effluent. Prior to transferring manure, process wastewater, settled open feedlot effluent, settleable solids or open feedlot effluent to other persons, a CAFO must provide the recipient of the manure, process wastewater, settled open feedlot effluent, settleable solids or open feedlot effluent with the most current nutrient analysis. A CAFO must retain for five years records of the date, recipient name and address, nutrient analysis and approximate amount of manure, process wastewater, settled open feedlot effluent, settleable solids or open feedlot effluent transferred to another person.

d.Minimum monitoring requirements for AT systems. Monitoring is required for the entire operational life of the AT system. The department may reduce or revise monitoring requirements after the first five years of system operation. During the first five years of operation of an AT system, the following minimum monitoring will be required:

(1) Discharge monitoring. An effluent collection point must be established at the outlet of the AT system, and the flow volume recorded and an effluent sample collected on each day a discharge from the AT system occurs. Discharge samples must be submitted to a certified laboratory and analyzed for: total Kjeldahl N, NH4 N, total P, COD, total suspended solids, and chloride.

(2) Discharge monitoring-tile lines. If the AT system includes a perforated tile system installed under any VTA berms to enhance infiltration within the VTA, water samples shall be collected from a sampling point located downgradient of the VTA on each individual tile line or combination of tile lines on the following schedule: one sample shall be taken from each sampling point in March or April of each year when the tile system is flowing and the level of flow in the tile system recorded at the time of sampling. If there is no discharge from the tile line at a time that meets these requirements, documentation on appropriate department forms can be substituted for the sample and analysis. Collected samples shall be submitted to a certified laboratory and analyzed for Ortho-phosphate as P.

(3) Groundwater monitoring. A minimum of two groundwater monitoring wells or piezometers (one upgradient and one downgradient) must be established at each AT system. Additional wells or piezometers may be required if the department determines they are necessary to adequately assess the impacts the AT system is having on groundwater. Samples must be collected from these wells in March or April of each year and analyzed for NH4 N, NO3 N, Ortho phosphate as P, and chloride.

(4) Soil sampling. Both shallow and deep soil sampling is required in the VTAs of an AT system.

1. Shallow soil sampling shall be conducted prior to initial discharge of open feedlot effluent into the AT system and repeated annually. Within the VTA, a minimum of three sampling locations shall be established at the entrance to each VTA to be sampled. The three sampling locations shall be spread evenly across the entrances to adequately monitor the effluent application onto the VTAs. Samples shall be collected in the spring. Each sample shall be taken to a depth of six inches and analyzed for pH and P using the Mehlich-3 method.

2. Deep soil sampling shall be conducted prior to initial discharge of open feedlot effluent into the AT system and repeated every five years prior to the submission of an application for an NPDES permit renewal. A minimum of two sampling sites shall be established within each VTA to be sampled, one located where runoff enters the VTA, generally the same location as the shallow soil sampling location, and one where runoff is discharged from the VTA. Soil samples shall be taken from these sites to a depth of four feet, with separate samples taken to represent the 0 to 6-inch depth, the 6- to 12-inch depth, and in one-foot increments thereafter. All samples shall be analyzed for NO3 N, NH4 N, pH, and P by the Mehlich-3 method.

If the length of effluent flow through the VTA exceeds 400 feet, an additional soil sample representing the zero to six-inch depth should be taken for each additional 200 feet of VTA length. Samples shall be analyzed for NO3 N, NH4 N, pH, and P by the Mehlich-3 method.

e.Quarterly reporting requirements for large CAFOs with outside liquid impoundments. A permittee with outside liquid impoundments must submit quarterly reports by April 10, July 10, October 10, and January 10, following the respective calendar quarters; documenting daily precipitation; weekly impoundment liquid levels; volume of liquid removed from the impoundments; and the date, time, duration, and estimated volume of any overflow. Liquid levels must be obtained by observing a depth marker that clearly indicates the minimum capacity necessary to contain the runoff and direct precipitation of the 25-year, 24-hour precipitation event.

f.Annual reporting requirements for all CAFOs with systems other than AT systems. Permittees with systems other than an AT system must submit an annual report to the department by January 10 of the following year. The annual report must include:

(1) The number and type of animals in the open feedlot operation;

(2) Estimated amount of manure, process wastewater, settled open feedlot effluent, settleable solids, or open feedlot effluent generated by the CAFO in the previous 12 months (tons/gallons);

(3) Estimated amount of total manure transferred to other persons by the CAFO in the previous 12 months (tons/gallons);

(4) Total number of acres for land application covered by the NMP and the total number of acres under control of the CAFO that were used for land application of manure in the previous 12 months;

(5) Summary of all manure, process wastewater, settled open feedlot effluent, settleable solids, or open feedlot effluent discharges from the production area that have occurred in the previous 12 months, including date, time, and approximate volume;

(6) A statement indicating whether the current version of the CAFO's NMP was developed or approved by a certified nutrient management planner;

(7) Actual crops planted and actual yield for the preceding 12 months; and

(8) Results of all samples of manure, litter and process wastewater for nitrogen and phosphorus content for manure, litter and process wastewater that was land-applied.

g.Quarterly reporting requirements for CAFOs with AT systems. A permittee with an AT system must submit quarterly reports by April 10, July 10, October 10, and January 10, following the respective calendar quarters. The quarterly reports shall provide all of the following information:

(1) Daily precipitation.

(2) Dates on which manure, process wastewater, settled open feedlot effluent, open feedlot effluent, or settleable solids were removed from the production area and estimated amounts of manure, process wastewater, settled open feedlot effluent, settleable solids, or open feedlot effluent removed (tons/gallons).

(3) Dates on which discharges from the production area or the AT system occurred and the estimated duration and volume of discharge on each discharge date.

(4) Results of laboratory analyses of discharge samples for each date a discharge from the production area or the AT system occurred. If the results of laboratory analyses are not available by the due date of the quarterly report, the results shall be provided with the following quarter's report.

h.Annual reporting requirements for CAFOs with AT systems. A permittee shall submit an annual report by January 10 of the following year. The annual report must include all of the following:

(1) The number and type of animals in the open feedlot operation.

(2) Estimated amount of total manure, process wastewater, settled open feedlot effluent, settleable solids, or open feedlot effluent generated by the CAFO in the previous 12 months (tons/gallons).

(3) Estimated amount of total manure, process wastewater, settled open feedlot effluent, settleable solids, or open feedlot effluent transferred to other persons by the CAFO in the previous 12 months (tons/gallons).

(4) Total number of acres for land application covered by the NMP and the total number of acres under control of the CAFO that were used for land application of manure, process wastewater, settled open feedlot effluent, settleable solids, or open feedlot effluent in the previous 12 months.

(5) Summary of all manure, process wastewater, settled open feedlot effluent, settleable solids, or open feedlot effluent discharges from the production area or AT system that have occurred in the previous 12 months, including date, time, and approximate volume.

(6) Harvest dates and estimated amounts of forage removed from the AT system during the previous 12 months.

(7) Results of soil and groundwater monitoring well sampling within the AT system during the previous 12 months.

(8) A statement indicating whether the current version of the CAFO's NMP was developed or approved by a certified nutrient management planner.

(8)NPDES permit renewal.

a.General requirements. An NPDES permit may be granted for any period of time not to exceed five years. An application for renewal of an NPDES permit must be submitted to the department at least 180 days prior to the date the permit expires. Each permit to be renewed shall be subject to the rules of the department in effect at the time of renewal. A permitted AFO that ceases to be a CAFO will be exempted from the need to retain an NPDES permit if the permittee can demonstrate to the satisfaction of the department that there is no remaining potential for a discharge of manure that was generated while the operation was a CAFO, other than agricultural storm water from land application areas.

b.Permits involving use of AT systems.

(1) Renewal of a permit involving use of an AT system is contingent upon proper operation and maintenance of the AT system, submittal of all required records and reports, and demonstration that the AT system is providing an equivalent level of performance to that achieved by a containment system that is designed and operated as required by statute, subrule 62.4(12) and this division of this chapter.

(2) If departmental review of an AT system indicates the system is not meeting the equivalent performance standard, the permittee may either be required to make needed system modifications to enable compliance with this standard or be required to install a conventional runoff containment system. Open feedlot operations found to be in compliance with the equivalent performance standard will be issued a five-year NPDES permit that allows continued use of the AT system.

(9)Permit amendment, revocation, and reissuance or termination. The department may amend, revoke and reissue or terminate in whole or part any NPDES permit for cause, either at the request of any interested person, including the permittee, or upon the director's initiative. Any more stringent requirement pursuant to 40 CFR 122.62, 122.63 or 122.64 shall control. All requests shall be in writing and shall contain reasons for the request. Cause for permit amendment, revocation and reissuance, or termination may include but is not limited to the following:

a. Violation of any term or condition of the permit.

b. Obtaining a permit by misrepresentation of fact or failure to disclose fully all material facts.

c. A change in any condition that requires either a temporary or permanent reduction or elimination of the permitted discharge.

d. Failure to retain, make available, or submit the records and information that the department requires in order to ensure compliance with the operation and discharge conditions of the permit.

e. Failure to provide all required application material or appropriate fees.

f. A determination by the department that the continued operation of a CAFO constitutes a clear, present and impending danger to public health or the environment.

Iowa Admin. Code r. 567-65.202

Adopted by IAB November 9, 2016/Volume XXXIX, Number 10, effective 12/14/2016

Adopted by IAB May 15, 2024/Volume XLVI, Number 24, effective 6/19/2024