The University of Missouri Extension Commercial Agriculture (CA) swine focus team and the Missouri Department of Natural Resources (DNR) will sponsor a series of free educational sessions across the state in July designed to explain the newest permit requirements for Missouri concentrated animal feeding operations (CAFOs). The sessions will include an opportunity for farmers and operators to ask questions and receive answers specific to their individual operations.

CA and DNR also have published a special edition of the MU Commercial Agriculture newspaper explaining the CAFO regulations. The special edition will be released and mailed to all current subscribers and permitted Missouri CAFOs in early July.

“With the new 2012 regulations, owners of Class IB and IC permitted animal feeding operations must make choices in August about the type of permit they want for their operation,” says Rex Ricketts, CA program director. “Farmers also need to know the record-keeping requirements detailed in the new permit. The special edition of the CA news and the informational meetings will help them to make the best choice.”

Regulations require all operations that confine 1,000 or more units of any one class of animal to have an operating permit. The rule changes have expanded the number of general permit options in Missouri from one to two.

Both permits are five-year operating permits. Operations that currently have a general permit need to choose either the state no-discharge general operating permit or the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System general permit. The fee for either permit is $150.

DNR will mail notifications to all general-permitted operations about the requirement to submit a permit renewal form in July. Copies of the form may be obtained online at http://dnr.mo.gov/env/wpp/cafo/.

The deadline for submitting the permit renewal form is Aug. 27. Submitting the renewal form on or before this deadline will ensure continuous permit coverage in the transition from the current to new permit.

The free informational sessions will begin with a 30-minute presentation on record-keeping requirements and permit options for animal-feeding operations. MU faculty and DNR staff will be present to answer questions. No reservations are required.

Dates and locations for the informational sessions:

-July 16, 1 p.m.: Friendship Room, First United Methodist Church, 1701 W. 32nd St., Sedalia.

-July 17, 1 p.m.: Barton Farm Campus, North Central Missouri College, 96 S.E. Eighth Ave., Trenton.

-July 18, 1 p.m.: MU Southwest Research Center, 14548 Highway H, Mt. Vernon.

-July 19, 1:30 p.m.: Audrain County 4-H Center, 21509 Highway D, Mexico.