Confined Animal Facilities - Dairy General Order Guidance
Complying With the General Order – Dairy Forms
Certification of Salt Reduction in Dairy Waste
The General Order requires dairy owners/operators to submit a Salinity Report by 1 July 2009 which identifies sources of salt in dairy waste, evaluates measures that can minimize salt in dairy waste, and certifies that the Discharger will implement the approved measures identified to minimize salt in dairy waste. A Salinity Report has been prepared by the dairy industry on behalf of dairy owners/operators and is pending approval by the Executive Officer, but individual Dischargers must still certify that appropriate measures will be implemented to reduce salt in dairy waste. The form above may be used to meet this requirement.
Preliminary Infrastructure Needs Checklist
The General Order requires owners and/or operators of existing milk cow dairies to submit a Preliminary Infrastructure Needs Checklist by 31 December 2008. Completion of this form may be used as a Preliminary Infrastructure Needs Checklist to preliminarily identify infrastructure changes needed to achieve compliance with the Nutrient Management Plan requirements (balance nitrogen) and/or achieve compliance with the Waste Management Plan requirements.
Field Risk Assessment Form
The General Order requires a Field Risk Assessment to be completed by 31 December 2008. Each Discharger must complete Parts I and II of the above form. If there have been discharges of process wastewater, manure, storm water, tailwater or subsurface (tile) drainage to surface water from the dairy, Part III must also be completed. The above form must be used to meet this requirement. The Field Risk Assessment Form should remain at the dairy. The Statement of Completion, available below, should be filled out and submitted to the Regional Board.
Statements of Completion
The General Order requires dairy owners/operators to submit Statements of Completion for each element of the Nutrient Management Plan (NMP). A Statement of Completion for Items I.A.1 (Land Application Area Information), I.B (Land Application Area Information), I.C (Land Application Area Information), I.D (Land Application Area Information), II (Sampling and Analysis Plan), IV (Setbacks, Buffers, and Other Alternatives to Protect Surface Water) and VI (Record-Keeping Requirements) of the NMP is due by 1 July 2008. A Statement of Completion for Item V (Field Risk Assessment) of the NMP is due by 31 December 2008. A Statement of Completion for Items I.A.2 (Land Application Area Information), III (Nutrient Budget), and VII (Nutrient Management Plan Review) of the NMP is due by 1 July 2009. The form above may be used to meet this requirement.
Priority Reporting of Significant Events
The General Order requires dairy owners/operators to submit a written report to the Central Valley Regional Water Quality Control Board within two weeks of becoming aware of a significant event (any noncompliance with the General Order that endangers human health or the environment, or any noncompliance with Prohibitions A.1, A.2, A.3, A.4, A.5, A.8, A.9, A.10, A.11, or A.12 of the General Order). The form above may be used for the required written report.
Documenting Backflow Prevention
The General Order requires dairy owners/operators to: identify cross-connections that would allow the backflow of wastewater into a water supply well, irrigation well, or surface water and propose and schedule corrective actions to prevent such backflow by 1 July 2008; and document there are no cross-connections that would allow such backflow by 1 July 2009. The form above may be used to meet this requirement.
Proposing and Documenting Interim Modifications to Balance Nitrogen and/or Improve Storage Capacity
The General Order requires dairy owners/operators to propose Interim Facility Modifications as Necessary to Balance Nitrogen and/or Improve Storage Capacity by 1 July 2008 based on the results of the Preliminary Dairy Facility Assessment and to document completion of any proposed Interim Facility Modifications by 1 July 2009. The form above may be used to meet this requirement.
Third Party Process Wastewater Agreement
The General Order requires dairy owners/operators to have a written agreement with each third party that receives process wastewater from the dairy owner/operator for its own use. All written agreements are to be included in the dairy's Existing Conditions Report, which is due by 31 December 2007, and copies of all written agreements must be included in the dairy owner's/operator's Annual Report. The form above provides all of the information required by the General Order to be included in the written agreement and may be used to meet this requirement.
The General Order requires dairy owners/operators to give 60 days notice to (1) the Central Valley Regional Water Quality Control Board of any planned changes in ownership or control of the dairy and (2) the new owner/operator of the existence of the General Order. The General Order also requires the new owner/operator to submit a written request to the Executive Officer to transfer coverage under the General Order before assuming operation of the dairy. New dairy owners/operators are required to complete and submit the form above. Current owners/operators are encouraged to use the form above to meet the notification requirements of the General Order.
