Virginia Best Management Practice: Animal Waste Control Facilities (WP-4)

Program Description:

The purpose of this practices is to improve water quality by storing and spreading waste at the proper time, rate and location, and/or to control erosion and nutrient input caused by winter-feeding operations located adjacent to riparian areas. Animal waste control facilities are planned systems designed to manage liquid and solid waste from areas where livestock and poultry are concentrated.

Cost-sharing and tax credit are limited to solving the pollution problems where the livestock or poultry operation can show they have either:

1. Access to land for application, and where a full farm plan approach to solving the water quality problem is being carried out,
2. An approved market and a plan for manure storage, transport and sales which have been approved by the District.

Before cost-share or tax credit can be approved for construction of a winterfeeding facility with dry stacking capabilities all other means of reducing the environmental impacts of animal waste from the existing winter-feeding operation must be considered. Lack of space for relocation, economic inefficiency or other factors may be considered. All applications for animal waste control facilities, except poultry operations, must have a "Risk Assessment for Water Impairment from Concentrated/Feeding/Loafing* Livestock Areas" completed and must receive a minimum score of 136 in order to be eligible.

Furthermore, all livestock must be excluded from all streams in the tract before cost share or Tax Credit is provided. Poultry Dry-Stack facilities should only be built after the completion of a Poultry Dry-Stack Needs Determination Worksheet.

An analysis of the Needs Determination Worksheet must determine: That; all other means of reducing the environmental impact of the existing poultry operation have been explored and rejected due to economic inefficiency or lack of space for relocation. Cost-sharing and tax credit is authorized for:

1. Animal waste storage facilities, such as dry stacking, dry stacking storage, aerobic or anaerobic lagoons, liquid manure tanks, holding ponds, collection basins, settling basins, and similar facilities as well as diversions, channels, waterways, designed filter strips, outlet structures piping, land shaping, and similar measures needed as part of a system on the farm to manage animal wastes;
2. Only if the storage and diversion facilities will contribute significantly to improving the soil or water quality by providing protected storage for on site generated waste;
3. For the waste storage facility as a part of the relocated livestock or poultry operation, if the original facility is contributing significantly to a water quality problem;
4. For wastewater storage facilities as a stand-alone component with a minimum storage of 120 days;
5. Cost-share funds only for six (6) months storage of existing need. All components of a Waste storage system (regardless of funding source) must be designed to match the amount of manure storage capacity required;
6. The construction of a fabricated liquid waste storage structure and associated components if it is the only acceptable alternative (based on site limitations, i.e., high water table, karst topography, etc.) for liquid waste management.
7. A written operation and management plan for each waste management system.

By accepting payment for this practice, the recipient agrees to maintain the system in accordance with the operation plan for a minimum of 10 years.

Landowner Eligibility:

All individuals and business entities operating agricultural land within the boundaries of the Commonwealth of Virginia are eligible to participate in the Virginia Agricultural Best Management Practices Cost-Share Program. Applicants shall self certify that they meet the above criteria. Soil & Water Conservation Districts may request that applicants provide proof of agricultural production. To be considered an agricultural producer there must be an annual minimum of $1,000 of agricultural products being produced, sold or both from the applicant's agricultural land (non-industrial private forest lands are exempt from the $1,000 requirement).

Contract Length:

Maintained for a minimum of 10 years following the calendar year of installation.

Cost-Share/Payment Information:

The state cost-share payment, alone or if combined with any other cost-share payment, will not exceed 75% of the total eligible cost. The maximum state payment for this practice is not to exceed $70,000 per landowner per year.

The current tax credit rate, which is subject to change in accordance with the Code of Virginia, is 25% of the total eligible cost not to exceed $17,500.00.

Signup Information

Sign-up occurs on a continuous basis.