The Iowa legislature has decided to change the current regulations requiring annual filing of manure plans with the Iowa Department of Natural Resources to allow refiling every four years.
The change is aimed at reducing paperwork and administrative costs and to align the Livestock Manure Management Plan (MMP) requirement with Iowa’s new phosphorous index, which also must be updated once every four years. Any changes in the number of animal units or the size of the operation would require producers to file an updated MMP.
Iowa farmers with MMPs currently pay a fee of 15 cents per animal unit annually. This change would mean producers now have to pay a fee of 60 cents per animal unit every four years. These fees support an indemnity fund, capped at $1 million, to pay for clean-up of abandoned waste storage facilities.
Source:
Iowa’s Ag Connection, April 17, 2006