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Wisconsin names Livestock Siting Technical Committee

Wisconsin Ag Secretary Rod Nilsestuen has named a 16-member Livestock Siting Technical Expert Committee to review water quality, odor, runoff management and other standards used by local governments in permitting livestock operations under the Livestock Facility Siting Law. The committee is part of the four-year renewal process included in the Livestock Facilities Siting Law when it became law.

Similar to the original task force which created the rules, the Technical Expert Committee is made up of individuals from both the private and public sectors with expertise in the areas of permitting livestock operations, air emissions, odor, nutrient management, runoff management, agricultural engineering and land use planning.

The committee will review the current siting standards to ensure they provide for responsible growth of an operation while correctly balancing other considerations such as public health and safety. Specifically, the committee will consider the following standards in light of the latest research, field experience and other factors:

• Livestock structures and their location on the property which would include structural and manure storage setbacks from property lines.
• Odor and air emissions including an assessment of odor credits for structures and manure handling practices.
• Nutrient management which includes identifying required documentation within the nutrient management plan.
• Waste storage facilities as well as clarifying waste generation calculations.
• Runoff management including the consideration of federal standards for controlling leachate from stored feed.
• Determining the completeness of the application materials for a siting permit.

The first meeting will be in July.

The appointments to the Technical Expert Committee are:

• Tom Bauman, agricultural runoff management coordinator, Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources
• Dave Buss, private sector nutrient management consultant, Waterloo
• Patricia Cicero, Jefferson County resource management specialist
• Jeff Endres, farmer experienced with nutrient management and land use planning, Town of Springfield, Dane County
• Dennis Frame, co-director, Discovery Farms Program
• Jerry Halverson, Manitowoc County conservationist
• Brian Holmes, professor, biological systems engineering, University of Wisconsin – Madison
• Carrie A.M. Laboski, soil science professor, University of Wisconsin – Madison
• Michael A. McGinley, consultant and national expert in odor evaluation, Lake Elmo, Minn.
• Pat Murphy, state resource conservationist, USDA Natural Resources Conversation Service (NRCS)
• Ed Odgers, chief of conservation engineering, DATCP
• Dean Perlick, Dodge Planning & Economic Development
• John M. Roach, professional engineer, Roach & Associates, LLC, Seymour
• Robert L. Thiboldeaux, toxicologist, Wisconsin Department of Health Services
• Jeffery Voltz, Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources representative from the Cooperative Environmental Assistance program
• Richard Wagner, engineer and co-owner of Quantum Dairy, Weyauwega

 The committee will be co-managed by DATCP staff Ed Odgers and Richard Castelnuovo and will be assisted by advisors  John Ramsden, NRCS State Conservation Engineer; Andrew Craig, DNR Nutrient Management Specialist; Larry Jacobson, Professor and Extension Engineer, University of Minnesota; and Mark Powell, professor, Department of Soil Sciences, University of Wisconsin-Madison.