{"abstract":"Today's final rule revises and clarifies the Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) regulatory requirements for concentrated animal feeding operations (CAFOs) under the Clean Water Act. This final rule will ensure that CAFOs take appropriate actions to manage manure effectively in order to protect the nation's water quality. Despite substantial improvements in the nation's water quality since the inception of the Clean Water Act, nearly 40 percent of the Nation's assessed waters show impairments from a wide range of sources. Improper management of manure from CAFOs is among the many contributors to remaining water quality problems. Improperly managed manure has caused serious acute and chronic water quality problems throughout the United States. Today's action strengthens the existing regulatory program for CAFOs. The rule revises two sections of the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR), the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permitting requirements for CAFOs (Sec. 122) and the Effluent Limitations Guidelines and Standards (ELGs) for CAFOs (Sec. 412). The rule establishes a mandatory duty for all CAFOs to apply for an NPDES permit and to develop and implement a nutrient management plan. The effluent guidelines being finalized today establish performance expectations for existing and new sources to ensure appropriate storage of manure, as well as expectations for proper land application practices at the CAFO. The required nutrient management plan would identify the site-specific actions to be taken by the CAFO to ensure proper and effective manure and wastewater management, including compliance with the Effluent Limitation Guidelines. Both sections of the rule also contain new regulatory requirements for dry-litter chicken operations. This improved regulatory program is also designed to support and complement the array of voluntary and other programs implemented by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), EPA and the States that help the vast majority of smaller animal feeding operations not addressed by this rule. This rule is an integral part of an overall federal strategy to support a vibrant agriculture economy while at the same time taking important steps to ensure that all animal feeding operations manage their manure properly and protect water quality. EPA believes that these regulations will substantially benefit human health and the environment by assuring that an estimated 15,500 CAFOs effectively manage the 300 million tons of manure that they produce annually. The rule also acknowledges the States' flexibility and range of tools to assist small and medium-size AFOs.","action":"Final rule.","agencies":[{"raw_name":"ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY","name":"Environmental Protection Agency","id":145,"url":"https://www.federalregister.gov/agencies/environmental-protection-agency","json_url":"https://www.federalregister.gov/api/v1/agencies/145","parent_id":null,"slug":"environmental-protection-agency"}],"body_html_url":"https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/full_text/html/2003/02/12/03-3074.html","cfr_references":[{"chapter":null,"citation_url":null,"part":9,"title":40},{"chapter":null,"citation_url":null,"part":122,"title":40},{"chapter":null,"citation_url":null,"part":123,"title":40},{"chapter":null,"citation_url":null,"part":412,"title":40}],"citation":"68 FR 7176","comment_url":null,"comments_close_on":null,"correction_of":null,"corrections":[],"dates":"These final regulations are effective on April 14, 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