A panel of judges determined Washington’s rules for storing and spreading manure are too lenient to protect the state’s water supply and sent them back to the Department of Ecology for revision. The department was already working on a new CAFO permit proposal since the current regulations expire in March 2022 and was expected to release a draft for public review in the near future. It is uncertain how the court’s ruling will affect the timeline for updating the rules.

The CAFO permit was issued by the Department of Ecology in 2017. The regulations did not satisfy the dairy industry or the environmental groups, so both sides appealed portions of the permits.

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This article appeared in the August 2021 issue of Journal of Nutrient Management on page 5.

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