I recently attended a meeting on proposed rules that would place certain animal feeding operations under the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination system(NPDES) which would make them point sources of pollution instead of non-point sources as they are now with other agricultural sources. There were 100 farmers ,one environmentalist, and one farmer-environmentalist at my meeting. The farmers are going to comment on the proposed rules. You need to also by e-mailing [log in to unmask] Below are my comments as an example: I would like to support the following rule changes placing CAFO's under the NPDES program: Define CAFO's to include operations with at least 500 Animal Units Eliminating the 25 year,24hour storm permit exemption(6 inches of rain in Iowa/24hr). Adopting a Phosphorous standard for Nutrient Permit Plans No application of manure on frozen Ground Public Availability of Permit Nutrient Plan's executive Summary No CAFO's within 200 feet of a waterway,500 feet from a sinkhole or agricultural drainage well and not in a 100 year floodplain. Extending liability to include both owner and contract owners. Permit Nutrient Plans should show sufficient land is available for manure application not to exceed the nitrogen and phosphorous requirements of the crops. Subject animal feeding operations less than 500 Animal Units to similar restrictions if they are in the watershed of an impaired waterway. Charles Winterwood Chair Iowa Chapter Sierra Club 3839 Merle Hay Road Suite 280 Des Moines,Ia 50310 __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Get personalized email addresses from Yahoo! Mail http://personal.mail.yahoo.com/ - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - To get off the IOWA-TOPICS list, send any message to: [log in to unmask]