The Milk Producer - September 2009 - (Page 32)

ENVIRONMENTALISSUES By Harold House Washwater disposal Ontario’s proposed regulations would put washwater under the Nutrient Management Act I f approved, Ontario regulations outlining disposal options for milking centre washwater would take effect Jan. 1, 2011. However, your individual situation will determine when your dairy farm would have to comply with them. When the province’s Nutrient Management Act was developed, the original intent was to deal with all farm nutrients. To simplify regulations and keep a reasonable timeline to put the act in place in 2003, not all nutrients were included. Since then, revisions to the regulations have added more farm nutrients. The latest proposed addition is washwater produced from dairy cow, dairy goat and dairy sheep operations. The draft regulations were put on the Environmental Bill of Rights Registry for public review. Ontario milk producers have been concerned with the effect of washwater on water quality since the early 1990s. Back then, it was blamed for contributing to Great Lakes pollution from the phosphorous-based cleaners used to wash milking equipment. Best management practices were developed at the time for dealing with milking centre washwater. It was recommended to include washwater with a liquid manure system and apply it to land. The alternative, if the quantity produced was relatively small, was to treat it through a sediment tank and treatment trench system similar to a household septic system. These recommended practices have served as acceptable, environmentally sustainable practices for many years. Bottom line is stopping washwater from entering water sources. Under the proposed regulations, they would become required practices. The bottom line is to stop milking centre washwater from emptying directly into drainage ditches, streams or field drainage tiles and entering water sources. Let’s look at three questions you will have to ask as a milk producer: 1.When would the regulations come into effect? 2.When would I have to comply? 3.What would I have to do? regulations come into effect Jan. 1, 2011. When would I have to comply? Three situations would determine when or if you need to comply with the regulations. First, if you do not have a nutrient management strategy (NMS) or nutrient management plan (NMP), you would have to comply only with the milking centre washwater regulations if you need a building permit to: • build or replace a milking parlour or milkroom. The milkroom is defined as the room where the bulk tank is located; • expand an existing milking parlour When would the regulations come into effect? If the government approves the draft proposal, milking centre washwater 32 | September 2009 | MilkPRODUCER

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of The Milk Producer - September 2009

Milk Producer - September 2009
Contents
Editor's Notes
DFO Chair's Message
Dairy Update
Farm Finance
DFC Promotion
World School Milk Day
Producer Profile
Research
Environmental Issues
Ruminations
Applied Science
Markets
New 'N' Noted
Back Forty

The Milk Producer - September 2009