Report of Activities & Progress for Subcommittee On Concentrated AFO

USDA-AGRICULTURAL AIR QUALTY TASK FORCE

A. Recent Accomplishments:

Made ad hoc distribution of selected materials to subcommittee and/or AAQTF members and Designated Federal Official (DFO) throughout year. Included conference announcements, new technology, policy developments, etc.

Secured participation of DFO (Sauerhaft) and representation of AAQTF (Sweeten) in Washington DC briefing of USDA & CAFO industry regarding analysis and recommendations concerning proposed new CAFO Effluent Limitations Guidelines, including air quality considerations; National Center for Manure and Animal Waste Management, Dec. 11, 2001 (a14-state consortium of universities, USDA Fund for Rural America project).

Participated as speaker in National Conference on Animal Waste Management, NCSU, Raleigh-Durham, NC. Presented paper, Odor Mitigation for CAFOs: White Paper & Recommendations’, Sweeten et al., Oct., 2001. Other white papers presented included: ‘Ammonia Emissions from Animal Feeding Operations’, Arogo, Westerman, Heber, Robarge, Classen.

ASAE International Annual Meeting, Sacramento CA’speakers included Parnell and Buser, Re: gross inaccuracy of PM2.5 measurements for agricultural emissions, Jul 2001.
American Society of Agronomy/Crop Science Society of America/Soil Science Society of America Annual Meeting, Charlotte NC

i. Ammonia Emissions from CAFOs, Sweeten et al., Oct. 2001. 

ii. Atmospheric Ammonia/Ammonium Concentrations in Eastern North Carolina, Robarge et al., Oct. 2001.

B. New Developments & Focus Items:

Respond to EPA’s forthcoming new draft and/or final CAFO rules and effluent limitations guidelines to be promulgated by December 15, 2002; specifically, the air quality-related provisions of said rule will be monitored, interpreted and made available to AAQTF members and users.

Promote/encourage submittal of technical papers and sessions on technology/issues being addressed by the AAQTF for forthcoming scientific conferences, including:

• Third International Conference on Air Pollution from Agricultural Operations; ASAE conference to be held Oct. 11-14, 2003, Raleigh N C. (proposal due date May 15, 2002);
•  American Meteorological Society (Agriculture and Forest Meteorology Meeting), 2003.

Promote/encourage participation in professional scientific meetings in 2002 involving agricultural air quality, including:’ ASAE/CIGR International Annual Meeting, Chicago, July, 2002; Air & Waste Management Association, Baltimore, June 23-25, 2002; etc.

Review state standards for air quality constituents outside of NAAQS-regulated compounds (e.g. H2S, NH3, odor, VOC, etc.).

Critically review the current knowledge-base relating to CAFOs and air quality:

• Assess research/extension/tech transfer programs & funding needs
• Review/comment on emission factor development
• Recommend alternative emission factors
• Coordinate with AAQTF Emissions Factors Subcommittee
• Respond to emerging issues
• Track NAS Study of CAFO emissions.

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A. Recent Accomplishments:

Continued public e-distribution of 2000 AAQTF report, Air Quality Research & Technology Transfer White Paper & Recommendations for Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations, USDA-AAQTF and USDA-NRCS, Washington, D.C. July 19. 123.

Served as authors, co-authors or peer reviewers of White Papers on air quality developed by the National Center for Manure and Animal Waste Management (14-state consortium), North Carolina State University, Oct. 2001. Titles included:

i. Sweeten, Jacobson, Heber, et al. Odor Mitigation for Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations: White Paper & Recommendations (54 p); Parnell, peer reviewer.

ii. Auvermann, Bottcher, Heber, Meyer, Parnell, Shaw, Worley. ‘Particulate Matter Emissions for Animal Feeding Operations: Management and Control Measures’, (40 p.);

iii. Arogo, Westerman, Heber, Robarge, Classen. ‘Ammonia emissions from Animal Feeding Operations.’ (Sweeten, peer reviewer)

Other air-quality related titles in the series included:

iv.  Jacobson, et al. ‘Site Selection of Animal Operations Using Air Quality Criteria’.

v.   Bicudo, et al. Air Quality & Emissions from Livestock & Poultry Production/Waste Management Systems’.

vi. Schiffman, Auvermann, Bottcher. ‘Health Effects of Aerial Emissions from Animal Production & Waste Management Systems’.

B. New Developments & Focus Items:

Develop an expert group on modeling dispersion from distributed ground-level area sources (GLAS); include stability, topographic effects, physical properties, etc.

Review data outputs from the AAQTF Emissions Factors Subcommittee and jointly recommend research priorities to AAQTF Research Committee and other groups or agencies (USDA-CSREES & USDA-ARS) to fill obvious gaps.

Promote the activities of the AAQTF with regard to CAFOs and air quality:

• Review new or proposed state/federal policies
• Promote interaction between USDA & EPA
• Encourage multimedia approach to programs/policies
• Ensure joint policies for air and water quality technologies, as appropriate
• Solicit additional targeted funding levels, USDA & EPA.

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A. Recent Accomplishments:

AAQTF representatives (Sweeten & Sauerhaft) participated in briefings for USDA and EPA officials in Washington, D.C. of the National Center for Manure and Animal Waste Management concerning the OW’s proposed new CAFO rules and effluent limitations guidelines.

Presentation briefs included handling of Air Quality aspects, including rationale, technology, and alternatives and Notice of Data Availability. (Dec. 11-12, 2001).

Obtained new funding for USDA-CSREES Special Research Projects including:

i. Texas ($640,000) for cattle feedlot and dairy emissions (includes: WTAMU, TAMU, USDA-ARS, & KSU); and

ii. California ($400,000) for dairy emissions (UC-Davis & TAMU).

USDA-CSREES IFAFS grants (FTY01) dealing with air quality have been funded includes:

i. University of Minnesota, $ 2.17 million to 6-state consortium. UMN, UIL, Purdue, ISU, NCSU, TAMU.’ Emissions from swine confinement buildings.

ii. Texas A & M University, TAES-Amarillo Feedlot nutrition management. ~$ 80,000 of $ 300,000 grant for ammonia emissions control.

USDA-ARS, Bushland TX Section 224 funding (~$1,000,000 FY01), feedlot nutrition, including (<$ 100,000) for development of ration controls to effect reduced ammonia emissions.

B. New Developments & Focus Items:

Implementation of NC Attorney General/Smithfield Foods Agreement includes AAQTF members serving in these capacities to develop environmentally superior technologies, via NCSU Animal & Poultry Waste management Center:

• Technology Review Panel J. M. Sweeten
• Technology evaluation-V. Aneja, PI and Program Scientist Project OPEN (Odor, Pathogens, and Emissions of Nitrogen). Also involves W. Robarge and others.

Implementation of MO Attorney General/Premium Standard Farms Agreement includes AAQTF member (Sweeten) serving on Technology Review Team.

Continue to review and interpret the EPA/Office of Water’s 2002 Effluent Limitations Guidelines vis a vis air quality provisions, as appropriate.

Enhance outreach activities of AAQTF with regard to CAFOs and air quality:

• Cost-effective abatement measures
• Funding needs
• Support national groups in identifying R&D/tech transfer needs/opportunities.

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A. Recent Accomplishments:

AAQTF members were active in helping develop guidelines and proposal for the National Academy of Sciences study of air emissions from CAFOs.

Three (3) AAQTF members (Flocchini, Robarge, Parnell) were appointed to NAS Panel, Air Emissions from Livestock Feeding Operations.

AAQTF member Dr. Tommy Coleman served as Panel Chair for the USDA-ARS National Air Quality Program (NP 203) Review, December 4-5, 2001, Beltsville, MD.

Presentations included: Science Behind Air Quality, J.M. Sweeten, at National Pork Board’s Environmental Symposium, Kansas City, MO, Nov. 13-14, 2001.

B. New Developments & Focus Items:

Assist and support the work of the NAS panel by providing documents and data sources to the panel members and supporting staff. e.g. Obtained approval for National Center for Manure and Animal Waste Management white paper series (air quality related), approved to sent on e-mail to NAS panel staff, January 16, 2002.

Emissions factor research data as available.

Assist the USDA-CSREES Fund for Rural America’s National Center for Manure and Animal Waste Management as well as other funding sources in targeting research programs/projects; and encourage and facilitate broad peer review of air-quality white papers there from.