Virginia’s Animal Waste Regulations: Progress and Gaps in Groundwater Protection

  • Virginia updated animal waste regulations in 2024, requiring storage areas at animal feeding operations to be at least one foot above the seasonal high water table.
  • These rules apply only to facilities built after 1998, leaving older systems—often more prone to runoff—exempt under grandfather clauses.
  • Bryan Dunning of the Center for Progressive Reform commended the increased monitoring but urged more action, like making contamination data publicly available online.
  • Agriculture contributes half of the nitrogen and phosphorus polluting Chesapeake Bay, affecting aquatic life.
  • Dunning suggests public disclosure of unauthorized waste discharges to boost transparency, especially for residents relying on private wells.
  • Confinement operators aim to balance environmental efforts with consumer demand for quality meat.
  • Virginia updated animal waste regulations in 2024, requiring storage areas at animal feeding operations to be at least one foot above the seasonal high water table.
  • These rules apply only to facilities built after 1998, leaving older systems—often more prone to runoff—exempt under grandfather clauses.
  • Bryan Dunning of the Center for Progressive Reform commended the increased monitoring but urged more action, like making contamination data publicly available online.
  • Agriculture contributes half of the nitrogen and phosphorus polluting Chesapeake Bay, affecting aquatic life.
  • Dunning suggests public disclosure of unauthorized waste discharges to boost transparency, especially for residents relying on private wells.
  • Confinement operators aim to balance environmental efforts with consumer demand for quality meat.

For more details, read the full article at WYDaily.

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