WW-07637     2001  

*Effectiveness of these technologies has not been verified.

• Avoid manure build-up in corners and alleys
• Clean up spilled feed
• Use high fat feeds
• Spouts and covers on feed equipment
• Wet/dry feeders
• Keep barn floors as dry as possible

• Maintain good drainage on the lot
• Restrict other runoff water from entering the lot
• Remove manure accumulation from fence lines and feeders

• Construct windbreaks around storage area
• Encourage crust development
• Install manure discharge pipes that enter below manure surface

• Apply manure when wind is blowing away from neighbors
• Apply manure on days that are windy and sunny between 10:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m.
• Avoid application on weekends and holidays
• Inject manure or incorporate immediately
• Agitate the manure without spraying the manure into the air

New Facilities

New or proposed facilities should be designed to minimize odor emissions. Currently, there are no standard criteria for Òodor reducing designs.Ó However, any facility designed to reduce the surface area of manure exposed, control dust, capture and treat gaseous emissions, increase dilution of emissions, or treat manure could be considered as a design to reduce odor emissions. This may be as simple as building a deep pit manure storage versus having an outdoor manure storage structure, using a pull plug system with manure stored in an outside covered storage structure, or using a wet/dry feeder system to reduce dust. A new or proposed facility might also include plans for future odor control technologies should an odor problem ever arise. The design might include a designated space for a biofilter, liquid solid separation equipment, or plans for a windbreak. Solid manure systems also produce less odor per unit area than liquid systems and should also be noted on the odor management plan. Many new ideas and technologies are being developed to control odor. Those that prove successful should be integrated in future livestock and poultry facility designs.

Odor Complaint Response

One of the most important pieces of an odor management plan is the response protocol to address odor complaints. This is a critical issue from three perspectives. First, it is sometimes difficult to separate serious odor complaints resulting from excessive odor emissions from odor complaints registered by disgruntled neighbors during non-odor events. Second, it is difficult to determine how many valid complaints are needed to trigger the implementation of an odor control technology. And third, there must be some method for monitoring the effectiveness of the technology. The complaint response protocol will set up an odor monitoring plan and set guidelines for an acceptable number of odor events and some method to evaluate the effectiveness of an odor control technology. For this, it is critical to foster and maintain a good relationship with neighbors and other community members.

Item 1. Avoid Odor Complaints

Avoid odor complaints by making an effort to control odor emissions, including peak odor events such as manure agitation or land application of manure. These efforts and their perceived effect on odors should be documented.

Item 2. Establish a Relationship with Neighbors and Community Members

An effective complaint response protocol requires the input of neighbors and other community members such as environmental service specialists, county feedlot officers, and county and township officials. These individuals provide an honest evaluation of farm odor impacts. They could be listed on the odor management plan and help in the development of the complaint response protocol. A team approach fosters communication and flow of information which is critical to responding to complaints.

Item 3. Monitor Odor Events

Monitoring odor events will help verify odor complaints and identify odor sources. Monitoring might include scheduled drives around the farm perimeter with a notebook recording the date, time, and location of the monitoring and the strength of any odors that were detected. Other monitoring might include record keeping of odor events by neighbors or community members. Strength of odors can be recorded on a three point odor intensity scale where 1=detectable odors, 2=recognizable odors, and 3=very distinct and annoying odors.

Item 4. Set Acceptable Intensity and Frequency Standards

Since odors are a part of all livestock and poultry farming enterprises, it is impossible to expect 100% odor free air around the farm. However, frequent odor events of high intensity are unacceptable. Therefore, some reasonable frequency of odor events should be established. This frequency could include a given number of odor events per month or per year that are acceptable. Above this frequency, the odor management plan would be implemented. Establishing the acceptable frequency and intensity (how often and how strong) of odor events should be done with input from neighbors and community members so everyone is familiar with the goals of the farm.

Item 5. Evaluate the Odor Control Technology

After an odor control technology has been implemented, an honest evaluation of its effectiveness is needed. A complaint response protocol will outline evaluation methods and techniques. This evaluation will most likely be similar to Item 3ÑMonitoring Odor Events.

Maintaining Odor Management Plans

An outline for an odor management plan is given later. This plan should be reviewed and adjusted as needed on an annual basis. Changes in farm operation and management; additions or modifications of buildings or manure storages; changes in ownership of surrounding property; or changes in local, state, or federal regulations may all be reasons for altering the odor management plan. The success of any farm operation can be measured by the avoidance of community conflicts and nuisance complaints. This requires a planned approach to odor management and good communication between the farm management and the community.

Air Emissions Plan for Dust and Other Gases

An odor management plan is only one part of an air emissions plan. A complete air emissions plan would likely cover hydrogen sulfide, ammonia, and dust. Unfortunately, little information is available on the emissions of these gases from livestock and poultry facilities or on effective control technologies.

Creating a complete air emissions plan requires documentation similar to an odor management plan where emission sources and control strategies are identified. A key difference between odor management plans and management plans for other gases or particulates is in the goal of the plans. Odor management plans are written to reduce the impact of odors on the surrounding community. Hydrogen sulfide management plans are written to reduce the concentrations of hydrogen sulfide at the property line to levels below 30 ppb or 50 ppb according to the Minnesota Rules Chapter 7009.0080. The goal for ammonia and dust management plans is to reduce the total loading of these constituents to the atmosphere (e.g., tons of particulates emitted to the atmosphere per year). These differences in goals result in a plan that would be similar to odor management plans in source identification and possibly control technologies, but would be different in monitoring protocol and the response to measured exceedances of the standards.

Odor Management Plan

Farm Name: _______________________________________________________
Developed by: _____________________________________________________
Date: ___________________________________

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