The Department of Environmental Quality and the Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (VDACS) will be implementing a new strategy to proactively address potential water quality concerns that may arise on small farms that raise livestock and poultry in a concentrated area. These may include dairies, feedlots, poultry operations and other types of farms.
The strategy builds on existing state programs to help meet Virginia's water quality goals, and it offers an alternative to additional regulatory requirements. It is not a one-size-fits-all regulation but is site specific and allows flexibility based on the type of operation, the physical site, the type and number of livestock and other factors.
"We are in favor of this approach that takes into account the many variables of a smaller animal feeding operation," added VDACS Commissioner Matt Lohr. "Additional regulations may be unnecessarily burdensome on many farmers, but a voluntary assessment strategy will provide better guidance when addressing water quality issues." For more information, click here.
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