The Iowa Department of Natural Resources (DNR) has scheduled six hearings in January and early February around the state to gather comments on rules governing manure applications on frozen and snow-covered ground, which are part of a larger livestock rule package proposed by DNR.
The rules, which were approved in November by the Iowa Environmental Protection Commission, were drafted from legislation passed in the 2009 session by the Iowa Legislature and signed by Governor Chet Culver.
They limit the application of liquid manure on frozen ground from 1 February to 1 April and on snow-covered ground from 21 December through 1 April. The measure provided exemptions for farmers facing unusual circumstances, such as weather or storage capacity limits, to apply manure under a plan approved by the DNR. The legislation exempts livestock operations that are 500 units or smaller.
The proposed DNR rules would take effect in the winter of 2010-11.
The schedule for DNR hearings is:
- 12 January, 4:30 p.m., at the Orange City Gymnasium, 125 Central Ave. S.E. in Orange City.
- 13 January, 1:30 p.m., Room 115 at Northeast Iowa Community College, Iowa Highway 150 south of Calmar. 15 January, 11 a.m., at the Wallace State Office Building Auditorium, 502 E. Ninth St., in Des Moines.
- 15 January, 4:30 p.m., at the Cass County Community Center, 805 W. 10th St., in Atlantic.
- 20 January, 1:30 p.m., at the Marr Park Conservation Center, 2943 Iowa Highway 92 in Ainsworth.
- 1 February, 1:30 p.m. at the North Iowa Area Community College Muse-Norris Conference Center, 500 College Drive in Mason City.
