Registration for the CAFO Nutrient Management Plan Training is CLOSED, as we have reached seating capacity.  However, we recommend that you register on the WAITLIST by completing the form on the registration page.  Late registration may be possible if there are cancellations and space becomes available.

The EPA Office of Wastewater Management in cooperation with the EPA Office of Compliance is presenting a new training course for federal and state CAFO permit writers and inspectors and for technical assistance providers from NRCS, soil and water conservation districts and Land Grant Universities.  This training will be convened on September 20-24 at the Crystal Gateway Marriott in Crystal City, Virginia (just outside of Washington, DC).

The training will focus on nutrient management planning as required under the EPA Concentrated Animal Feeding Operation (CAFO) Regulations.The course will provide in-depth coverage of National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) requirements for CAFOs and will cover topics to be included in the new NPDES CAFO Permit Writers Guidance, which is currently under development and scheduled to be released in autumn 2010. The course will focus on nutrient management plans (NMPs) and will include hands-on use of several plans.  There will be extensive review of NMPs from the perspective of both permit writers and inspectors. This in-depth technical work will provide the first exposure for the training participants to the newly developed guidance on NMPs, including coverage of the example NMP to be included in the guidance.  Please see the preliminary training agenda for additional details.

In order to ensure that all participants understand the context for NMP development and implementation, the course will include an introduction to nutrient management for animal agriculture and an introduction to NPDES permit requirements for CAFOs.

The training will include 3½ days of classroom sessions and a daylong field trip to the Shenandoah Valley in Virginia, which will be integrated into the coursework. On the field trip, we will tour dairy and poultry operations and participate in a farm field day event to be hosted by Virginia Tech and the Mid Atlantic Regional Water Quality Program.  While the primary audience is state and federal permit writers and inspectors, we anticipate that the training also will be of value for local regulatory staff and federal and state agricultural professionals, including NRCS, conservation district and extension professionals.  The course will be open to all federal, state and local governmental agency staff and Land Grant University faculty and staff. There is no registration fee, but space is limited and advanced registration is required.