April 2006

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Siting Livestock Production Operations

Introduction

Selecting an appropriate site for a livestock operation is key to the long-term success of the project from an environmental, economic and social point of view. The initial planning stage is the best time to seek input on siting of livestock buildings and manure storage facilities, and to address public concerns such as odour and water quality.
 

Why is the Farm Here?

Siting is the process of choosing an appropriate location for a particular land.  It should consider available resources, land and infrastructure needs and impact on neighbouring land uses.

Some residents may prefer that livestock operations locate in more remote areas to minimize impacts of odours, noise and dust on neighbours. However, this may not always be practical. Livestock operations need access to power, water, all-weather roads and productive lands to use manure fertilizer most efficiently. There must be a balance between satisfying neighbours’ concerns and using natural resources and infrastructure efficiently.
 

Land Use Planning Principles                                                                                                     

In Manitoba, land use planning is the responsibility of local governments. Through local planning documents such as the development plan and zoning by-laws, local policy makers must direct uses of land to appropriate areas. For example, non-farm developments should ideally be directed away from prime agricultural soils. Where possible, land uses that may not be compatible with agriculture should likewise be directed away from agricultural areas. Conversely, agricultural uses such as livestock production should be directed away from residential or recreational areas.
 

Technical Review Process

Under The Planning Act, all municipalities or planning districts must adopt a development plan by January 1, 2008, and a zoning by-law within one year of adopting the development plan. All development plans must include a Livestock Operation Policy.  This policy must identify areas where new or expanding livestock operations may be allowed, may be allowed up to a certain size, or are not allowed. Municipalities or planning districts that already have a development plan in place must amend their plans to include a Livestock Operation Policy.

Proposed operations that are 300 or more animal units are to be established through a conditional use.  A zoning by-law may designate livestock operations with fewer than 300 animal units as either a permitted or a conditional use. 

Councils considering an application with 300 or more animal units require a Technical Review Report from the Province. The municipality or planning district must hold a public hearing for conditional use applications.

The Regional Technical Review Committee is comprised of representatives from Manitoba Agriculture, Food and Rural Initiatives, Manitoba Intergovernmental Affairs and Trade, Manitoba Water Stewardship and Manitoba Conservation.

The Technical Review Report is provided to municipal councils and the public to improve their understanding of construction and management plans for individual livestock operation proposals.  The report includes information on local soil resources, local geology and hydrogeology, ground and surface water resources, municipal and/or provincial land use planning requirements, and the Province’s regulatory framework for livestock operations.

Siting Considerations

Local governments generally have a number of land use by-laws in place to guide livestock development in their jurisdictions. The Province regulates certain aspects of siting of manure storage facilities, confined livestock areas, and composting sites.

When choosing a site, the operation should be examined in three separate components to determine its suitability:

Siting for buildings, confined livestock areas and composting sites

The planning stage is the best opportunity to deal with and minimize potential nuisances such as odours. There are several important considerations in siting barns, or confined livestock areas such as feedlots, paddocks, hoop shelters or corrals:

• the site should be protected from flooding;
• adequate amounts of water of suitable quality should be available;
• the building site should be buffered by trees and maintain a suitable setback from property lines to minimize noise, dust and odour problems for neighbours;
• measures should be in place to prevent the transfer of disease between operations;
• recommended setback criteria for livestock buildings are outlined in Manitoba Agriculture, Food and Rural Initiatives' Farm Practices Guidelines for Hog / Beef / Dairy / Poultry producers in Manitoba. These depend on the size of the operation, number of residences within a 1.6 km radius, and the presence of designated residential/recreational areas in the vicinity.

As of April 2004, Manitoba Conservation requires that all confined livestock areas capable of housing 300 animal units or more of livestock receive a permit before construction, expansion or modification.  The confinement area must comply with a minimum of 100-metre set-back from any surface watercourse, sinkhole, spring or well, and the operation’s boundaries.  An application for a permit must be accompanied by a professional engineer’s design and a geotechnical report that meets minimum standards outlined by Manitoba Conservation.

Siting for manure storage and composting

Field storage of manure (open manure pile) must meet a minimum 100 metre setback from any surface watercourse, sinkhole, spring or well.  Composting sites for manure and mortalities must also comply with a minimum of 100 metre set-back from any surface watercourse, sinkhole, spring or well, and the operation’s boundaries.

A storage structure holds the manure until a suitable time when it may be applied to agricultural land.  Manitoba Conservation requires that all manure storages receive a permit before construction, expansion or modification. To qualify for a storage facility permit, Manitoba Conservation requires submission of a design prepared by a Professional Engineer and supporting documentation such as manure management plans, hydrogeological information and soil tests. All work must meet specific design requirements and be certified by a professional engineer. Manure storages must not contaminate groundwater and must not be allowed to overflow.

Potential sites should be evaluated for their suitability. Lands with class 6, class 7 or unimproved organic soils based on the Canada Land Inventory classification system are not considered suitable for siting of these facilities.  Sites overlying shallow aquifers may not be suitable for an earthen storage structure. In these areas, the permitting process may require more stringent requirements such as the use of an artificial liner and an increased number of monitoring wells. Alternately, above-ground storage structures made of steel or concrete and able to meet permitting requirements may be allowed. Information on subsurface materials and the presence of aquifers can be obtained from existing soils and hydrogeological maps, or by examining water well logs available from Manitoba Water Stewardship. Exploratory drilling or specialized testing conducted by a hydrologist or engineer may be required to evaluate site conditions.

Considerations for siting a livestock manure storage unit include:                                                                                                        

• the site must be protected to 100-year flood levels;
• setback must be 100 metres from property lines, surface watercourses, sinkholes, springs and wells;
• storage must be sited and constructed according to criteria outlined in Schedule A of the Livestock Manure and Mortalities Management Regulation;
• the impact of odours on neighbours should be minimized by considering the direction of summer prevailing winds;
• windbreaks, shelterbelts and vegetated buffer strips can be used to manage odours;
• recommended setback criteria for manure storages are outlined in Manitoba Agriculture, Food and Rural Initiatives' Farm Practices Guidelines for Hog / Beef / Dairy / Poultry producers in Manitoba. These depend on the size of the operation, type of manure storage, number of residences within a one-mile radius, and the presence of residential/recreational areas in the vicinity.

Selecting the land base to apply manure

The initial planning stage is the best time to characterize soil properties of land where manure will be applied. Manure is not allowed to be applied to soils that are class 6 or class 7 or unimproved organic soils as based on the Canada Land Classification system.

When selecting a site for a livestock operation, the approximate land base required for manure applications must be known. Required land base is determined by accounting for soil type, amount of manure produced, estimated manure nitrogen content and crop needs for nitrogen.

Manitoba is proposing to amend the Livestock Manure and Mortalities Management Regulation under The Environment Act to include phosphorus as a nutrient by which manure application to agricultural lands may be limited. The intent of the proposed amendment is to reduce the risk of phosphorus transport to surface waters due to loading of phosphorus on agricultural soils that are fertilized with manure.  The ultimate objective is to improve the water quality of Manitoba’s surface waterbodies, including Lake Winnipeg.  The implication for many producers who use manure as a fertilizer is that additional land area for manure application may be required in order to meet the proposed requirements over the long term.  Other strategies may be used to reduce phosphorus.
 

Summary

The key to long term success of a livestock operation from an environmental, economic and social point of view is in selecting an appropriate site. Proper siting and good manure management are keys to reducing odour complaints and minimizing impacts on water. Good land use planning principles must be used to maintain a balance between addressing concerns of neighbours and making most efficient use of resources. The Province will provide a Technical Review to municipal councils considering an application with 300 or more animal units in size.

For further information about public issues refer to other titles in the series: "Living with Livestock Production" available from Manitoba Agriculture, Food and Rural Initiatives offices. More detailed information can be found on the Internet at www.gov.mb.ca/agriculture/livestock.

Other titles available include:

• Health Issues and Livestock Production

• Livestock Odours - Sources, Concerns and Solutions

• Surface Water Issues

• Nitrates in Soil and Water

• Land Application of Manure

• Understanding Anti-microbial Resistance

• Food Safety on the Farm

• Livestock Operations and Groundwater Quality

• Livestock pathogens – A Natural Occurrence

• Managing Livestock Mortalities

• Livestock Manure Storage

• Confinement of Livestock

• Phosphorus in Soil and Water

 The “Farm Practices Guidelines for Hog Producers in Manitoba” can be found at http://www.gov.mb.ca/agriculture/livestock/pork/swine/bah00s00.html