News Releases - 1999

New Livestock Regulations Will Require Waste Release Notification

Springfield, Ill. -- Regulations that require releases of livestock waste from lagoons to be reported to the state were recently adopted by the Illinois EPA, in response to an amendment of the Livestock Management Facilities Act in June 1998.

An owner or operator of a livestock waste lagoon is now required to report any release to the environment within 24 hours after discovery of the release by calling 800-782-7860, a 24-hour line maintained by the Illinois Emergency Management Agency. Information to be reported includes the location, amount, and apparent environmental impacts of the release. A written report to the Illinois EPA confirming the information provided by telephone is required within five days after discovery of the release.

Releases to surface water must be reported immediately, except when immediate notification would hinder the owner's or operator's efforts to correct the cause of the release or contain the livestock waste. In such cases, the report must be made as soon as possible but no later than 24 hours after discovery. In addition to the reporting requirement, the owner or operator of the livestock waste lagoon is responsible for correcting the cause of the release as soon as possible, and minimizing environmental damage.

The reporting requirement is currently limited to releases of livestock waste from lagoons, and includes releases from irrigation piping, pumps, or other facilities directly connected to livestock waste lagoons. Application of waste at agronomic rates to farm fields as fertilizer is exempt from the regulations' definition of a release. Legislation to require reporting of releases from other waste storage structures such as manufactured storage structures or pits under livestock confinement buildings was considered but not passed by the General Assembly.

Failure to report a release to the Illinois EPA could result in the issuance of a notice of violation by the Illinois Department of Agriculture, and a second violation could result in a penalty up to $1000. If a third violation of the reporting requirement occurs, the facility will be ordered by the Department of Agriculture to cease operations until the proper notification has been submitted. Any environmental damage resulting from the release, such as a fish kill, may subject the owner or operator to additional penalties and a requirement to reimburse the state for the value of the fish killed.

For additional information of the release reporting requirements, contact the Illinois EPA, Bureau of Water, Field Operations Section, at 217-782-3362. The new livestock waste release reporting rules will soon be available on the Internet.