Building or expanding a confined feeding operation? What you and your consultant need to know.
Are you planning to expand or build a new confined feeding operation (CFO), manure storage facility, or manure collection area? If so, be sure your consultant is aware of the guidance for conducting subsoil investigations. Failure to follow this guidance could delay or otherwise impact your ability to obtain a permit under the Agricultural Operation Practices Act.
Over the past few years, the Natural Resources Conservation Board (NRCB) and Alberta Agriculture and Irrigation, in conjunction with representatives from the livestock industries, have issued a series of technical guidelines providing guidance to consultants conducting subsoil investigations for CFOs:
- Agdex 096-61: Determining Equivalent Protective Layers and Constructed Liners
- Agdex 096-62: Subsoil Investigations for Manure Storage Facilities and Manure Collection Areas
- Agdex 096-63: Subsoil Investigations for Naturally Occurring Protective Layers
- Agdex 096-64: Subsoil Investigations for Compacted Soil Liner
These guidelines provide instructions for how to properly identify a groundwater resource, determine depth to a water table, and estimate equivalent depths and hydraulic conductivity of liners and protective layers.
The last guideline of the series was issued in March 2023 and the NRCB has considered the past few years a transition period in the use of this guidance. However, going forward, NRCB approval officers will require that the procedures described in the guidelines are followed in applications for new facilities.
For more information please contact an approval officer at your nearest regional office.
Peace/North Central
Provincial Building
201, 10008 - 107 Street
Morinville AB T8R 1L3
Phone: 780-939-1212
Central
Provincial Building
303, 4920 - 51 Street
Red Deer AB T4N 6K8
Phone: 403-340-5241
Airdrie Agriculture Regional Centre
97 East Lake Ramp NE
Airdrie AB T4A 0C3
Phone: 403-340-5241
South
Agriculture Centre
100, 5401 1st Ave S
Lethbridge AB T1J 4V6
Phone: 403-381-5166