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PA Bulletin, Doc. No. 24-592

NOTICES

DEPARTMENT OF
ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION

Availability of Technical Guidance

[54 Pa.B. 2326]
[Saturday, April 27, 2024]

 Technical guidance documents (TGD) are available on the Department of Environmental Protection's (Department) web site at www.depgreenport.state.pa.us/elibrary/. The ''Technical Guidance Final Documents'' heading is the link to a menu of the various Department bureaus where each bureau's final TGDs are posted. The ''Technical Guidance Draft Documents'' heading is the link to the Department's draft TGDs.

Ordering Paper Copies of Department Technical Guidance

 The Department encourages the use of the Internet to view and download TGDs. When this option is not available, persons can order a paper copy of any of the Department's draft or final TGDs by contacting the Department at (717) 783-8727.

 In addition, bound copies of some of the Department's documents are available as Department publications. Check with the appropriate bureau for more information about the availability of a particular document as a publication.

Changes to TGDs

 Following is the current list of recent changes. Persons who have questions or comments about a particular document should contact the person whose name and phone number are listed with each document.

Final TGD: Substantive Revision

 DEP ID: 361-0300-002. Title: Land Application of Manure—A Supplement to Manure Management for Environmental Protection. Description: The Manure Management Manual for Environmental Protection and its supplements provide guidelines that comply with Department regulations concerning animal manures and agricultural process wastewaters. The criteria established in this technical guidance document are required to be followed by all operations applying manure or agricultural process wastewater, farms that pasture animals and farms managing an Animal Concentration Area (ACA) unless the operators obtain a permit or approval from the Department to implement alternative practices. Notice of availability of the draft of this guidance document for a 30-day public comment period was published at 53 Pa.B. 5344 (August 26, 2023). The following changes were made from the draft guidance to the final guidance in response to private comments received from the Pennsylvania Association of Conservation Districts and public comments received during the open public comment period.

 • Preface—A list was added that explains when an operator needs to update to their plan to remain consistent with the operation and manure management practices.

 • Page 1—Added wording to clarify that those operations that choose to utilize the nutrient management plan format but are not a Concentrated Animal Feeding Operation or Concentrated Animal Operation will voluntarily enter the Act 38 Nutrient Management Program as a Volunteer Animal Operation.

 • Page 2—Language was added to clarify that a United States Department of Agriculture Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) 590 plan is an acceptable planning format.

 • Page 2—Language was added to clarify that the PAOneStop Manure Management Plan planning template is an acceptable format for a plan.

 • Page 2—A list was added to summarize the requirements for an operation to use the Short Form.

 • Page 22—Language was added to clarify that if the operator would like to apply nutrients above the phosphorous removal rate, other manure types or to other crops not included in the charts, the Nutrient Balance Sheet or the Phosphorus Index be used.

 • Page 24—Language was added to reference that Soil Maps can be obtained using the NRCS Web Soil Survey web site.

 • Pages 42 and 60—A line was added to the Agricultural Process Wastewater Worksheet so that users can write a ''Planned Implementation Date'' and an ''Implementation Date.''

 • Pages 43 and 64—Language was added to clarify that fields that are overgrazed must be reestablished in the next growing season or else the area must be managed as an ACA.

 • Appendices—The Agronomy Facts 54 and 68 were updated with a higher-quality version for easier reading.

 • Pasture Management—Throughout document, the requirement to have 75% perennial grass cover in pastures was changed to be 70% perennial vegetative cover. This was made after a comment from Pennsylvania Association of Conservation Districts and consultation with NRCS.

 • Sinkholes—Throughout document, the term ''sinkhole'' was replaced with ''open sinkhole'' to bring better clarification and uniformity throughout the document.

 • General Information Page—The ''No'' box was removed as an option to the Manure Spreader Calibration question in the General Information section.

 • Glossary—The definition of ''Improved Stacking Pad'' was changed to offer better clarity.

 Contact: Questions regarding this TGD can be directed to Kathryn Bresaw, Agriculture Compliance Section Manager, Division of Nonpoint Source Management Division of the Department's Bureau of Watershed Restoration and Nonpoint Source Management, (717) 772-5650, kbresaw@ pa.gov.

 Effective Date: April 27, 2024

JESSICA SHIRLEY, 
Interim Acting Secretary

[Pa.B. Doc. No. 24-592. Filed for public inspection April 26, 2024, 9:00 a.m.]


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