Animal Feeding Operations Rules and Statutes

Animal Feeding Operations: Rules and Statutes

NC Water Resources Rules

The revised .0200 Rules have been approved and went into effect on September 1, 2006. The rules were codified into a new chapter NCAC 15A 02T: Waste Not Discharged to Surface Waters.

Animal Waste Management Systems rules are now combined into Section .1300,
The new Manure Hauler Operations rules are in Section .1400.

The federal Clean Water Act created the National Pollution Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) Program "to protect and improve water quality by regulating point source dischargers." The Act defines a concentrated animal feeding operation (CAFO) as a point source. The US Environmental Protection Agency provides rules for CAFO regulation, which were revised in February 2003.

Revised regulations that address the Second Circuit court's 2005 decision in Waterkeeper Alliance et al. v. EPA, 399 F.3d 486, were signed on October 31, 2008 and were published in the Federal Register on November 20, 2008. These regulations are effective on December 22, 2008. The 2008 final rule revises the 2003 regulations.

A history of EPA's CAFO rulemaking activities is provided on the Regulations, Guidance, and Studies page.

EPA CAFO Regulations and Guidance

EPA CAFO Rule Implementation Guidance on CAFO Regulations - May 28, 2010

Senate Bill 1217 Interagency Group

In an effort to address questions from technical specialists and provide uniform interpretations to technical specialists regarding the requirements of the animal waste management rules, the 1996 session of the General Assembly created an interagency committee. The SB 1217 Interagency Group, consists of two (2) representatives from each of the following agencies: the Division of Soil and Water Conservation (DSWC), the Division of Water Resources (DWR), the Department of Agriculture (NCDA & CS), the Cooperative Extension Service (NCCES), and the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), which is an agency within the United States Department of Agriculture.

SB 1217 Guidance Documents

The above link contains the 9th Guidance Document and all appendices to the Guidance Document.