Iowa Code § 459.312 - Manure management plan — requirements

1. The following persons shall submit a manure management plan, including an original manure management plan and an updated manure management plan, as required in this section to the department: a. The owner of a confinement feeding operation, other than a small animal feeding operation, if any of the following apply: (1) The confinement feeding operation was constructed after May 31, 1985, regardless of whether the confinement feeding operation structure was required to be constructed pursuant to a construction permit. (2) The owner constructs a manure storage structure, regardless of whether the person is required to be issued a permit for the construction pursuant to section 459.303 or whether the person has submitted a prior manure management plan. b. A person who applies manure from a confinement feeding operation, other than a small animal feeding operation, which is located in another state, if the manure is applied on land located in this state. 2. Not more than one confinement feeding operation shall be covered by a single manure management plan. 3. The owner of a confinement feeding operation who is required to submit a manure management plan under this section shall submit an updated manure management plan to the department on an annual basis. The department shall provide for a date that each updated manure management plan is required to be submitted to the department. The department may provide for staggering the dates on which updated manure management plans are due. To satisfy the requirements of an updated manure management plan, an owner of a confinement feeding operation may, in lieu of submitting a complete plan, file a document stating that the manure management plan has not changed, or state all of the changes made since the original manure management plan or a previous updated manure management plan was submitted and approved. 4. a. The department shall deliver a copy of the manure management plan or require the person submitting the manure management plan to deliver a copy of the manure management plan to all of the following: (1) The county board of supervisors in the county where the manure storage structure owned by the person is located. (2) The county board of supervisors in the county where the manure storage structure is proposed to be constructed. If the person is required to be issued a permit for the construction of the manure storage structure as provided in section 459.303, the manure management plan shall accompany the application for the construction permit as provided in section 459.303. (3) The county board of supervisors in the county where the manure is to be applied. b. The manure management plan shall be filed with the county board of supervisors. The county auditor or other county officer may accept the manure management plan on behalf of the board. 5. A person shall not remove manure from a manure storage structure which is part of a confinement feeding operation for which a manure management plan is required under this section, unless the department approves a manure management plan, including an original manure management plan and an updated manure management plan, as required in this section. The manure management plan shall be submitted by the owner of the confinement feeding operation as provided by the department in accordance with section 459.302. The owner of a confinement feeding operation required to submit a manure management plan for the construction of a manure storage structure may remove manure from another manure storage structure that is constructed, if the department has approved a manure management plan covering that manure storage structure. The department may adopt rules allowing a person to remove manure from a manure storage structure until the manure management plan is approved or disapproved by the department according to terms and conditions required by rules adopted by the department. 6. The department shall not approve an original manure management plan unless the plan is accompanied by a manure management plan filing fee required pursuant to section 459.400. The department shall not approve an updated manure management plan unless the updated manure management plan is accompanied by an annual compliance fee required pursuant to section 459.400. 7. a. The department shall not approve an application for a permit to construct a confinement feeding operation structure unless the owner of the confinement feeding operation applying for approval submits an original manure management plan together with the application for the construction permit as provided in section 459.303. b. The department shall not file a construction design statement as provided in section 459.306 unless the owner of the confinement feeding operation structure submits an original manure management plan together with the construction design statement. The construction design statement and manure management plan may be submitted as part of an application for a construction permit as provided in section 459.303. 8. A manure management plan must be authenticated by the person required to submit the manure management plan as required by the department in accordance with section 459.302. 9. The department shall approve or disapprove a manure management plan according to procedures established by the department: a. For an original manure management plan submitted due to the construction of a confinement feeding operation structure, the department shall approve or disapprove the manure management plan as follows: (1) If the confinement feeding operation structure is constructed pursuant to a construction permit issued pursuant to section 459.303, the manure management plan shall be approved or disapproved as part of the construction permit application. (2) If the confinement feeding operation structure is not constructed pursuant to a construction permit issued pursuant to section 459.303, the manure management plan shall be approved or disapproved within sixty days from the date that the department receives the manure management plan. b. For an original manure management plan submitted for a reason other than the construction of a confinement feeding operation structure, the manure management plan shall be approved within sixty days from the date that the department receives the manure management plan. c. For an updated manure management plan, the manure management plan shall be approved within thirty days from the date that the department receives the updated manure management plan. 10. A manure management plan shall include all of the following: a. Restrictions on the application of manure based on all of the following: (1) Calculations necessary to determine the land area required for the application of manure from a confinement feeding operation based on nitrogen use levels in order to obtain optimum crop yields according to a crop schedule specified in the manure management plan, and according to requirements adopted by the department. (2) A phosphorus index. The department shall establish a phosphorus index by rule in order to determine the manner and timing of the application to a land area of manure originating from a confinement feeding operation. The phosphorus index shall provide for the application of manure on a field basis. The phosphorus index shall be used to determine application rates, based on the number of pounds of phosphorus that may be applied per acre and application practices. The phosphorus index shall be based on the field office technical guide for Iowa as published by the United States department of agriculture, natural resources conservation service, which sets forth nutrient management standards. b. Manure nutrient levels as determined by either manure testing or accepted standard manure nutrient values. c. Manure application methods, timing of manure application, and the location of the manure application. d. If the location of the application is on land other than land owned by the person applying for the construction permit, the plan shall include a copy of each written agreement executed between the person and the landowner where the manure will be applied. e. An estimate of the annual animal production and manure volume or weight produced by the confinement feeding operation. f. Methods, structures, or practices to prevent or diminish soil loss and potential surface water pollution. g. Methods or practices to minimize potential odors caused by the application of manure by the use of spray irrigation equipment. h. A description of land identified for the application of liquid manure due to an emergency if allowed pursuant to section 459.313A. The owner must identify the land in the original manure management plan or in the next updated manure management plan required to be submitted to the department following the application. 11. A confinement feeding operation classified as a habitual violator as provided in section 459.604 shall submit a manure management plan to the department on an annual basis, which must be approved by the department for the following year of operation. The manure management plan shall be a replacement original manure management plan rather than a manure management plan update. However, the habitual violator required to submit a replacement original manure management plan must submit an annual compliance fee in the same manner as if the habitual violator were submitting an updated manure management plan. 12. A person required to submit a manure management plan to the department shall maintain a current manure management plan and maintain records sufficient to demonstrate compliance with the manure management plan. Chapter 22 shall not apply to the records which shall be kept confidential by the department and its agents and employees. The contents of the records are not subject to disclosure except as follows: a. Upon waiver by the person receiving the permit. b. In an action or administrative proceeding commenced under this chapter. Any hearing related to the action or proceeding shall be closed. c. When required by subpoena or court order. 13. The department may inspect the confinement feeding operation at any time during normal working hours, and may inspect records required to be maintained as part of the manure management plan. The department shall regularly inspect a confinement feeding operation if the operation or a person holding a controlling interest in the operation is classified as a habitual violator pursuant to section 459.604. The department shall assess and the confinement feeding operation shall pay the actual costs of the inspection. 14. A person required to authenticate a manure management plan submitted to the department who is found in violation of the terms and conditions of the plan shall not be subject to an enforcement action other than the assessment of a civil penalty pursuant to section 459.603. 95 Acts, ch 195, §25 CS95, §455B.203 98 Acts, ch 1209, §30 – 32, 53; 2002 Acts, ch 1137, §38 – 41, 68, 71 ; 2002 Acts, 2nd Ex, ch 1003, §256, 257, 259, 260, 262 C2003, §459.312 2003 Acts, ch 108, §86; 2009 Acts, ch 41, §137, 138; 2009 Acts, ch 155, §2; 2011 Acts, ch 25, §143 Referred to in §459.102, 459.303, 459.304, 459.306, 459.312A, 459.313A, 459.400, 459.401, 459.403, 459.503, 459.604, 459A.208