Animal Waste Storage Ordinance

Purpose

The purpose of this Ordinance is to regulate the location, design, construction, installation, alteration, and use of animal waste storage facilities. The application of waste from these facilities is also regulated in order to prevent water pollution and thereby protect the health of Walworth County residents and transients, prevent the spread of disease, and promote the prosperity and general welfare of the citizens of Walworth County. It is also intended to provide for the administration and enforcement of the ordinance and to provide penalties for its violation.

Ordinance

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Applicability

Any person who designs, constructs, installs, reconstructs, enlarges, or substantially alters any animal waste storage facility or who employs another person to do the same on land subject to the provision of this Ordinance.

Compliance With Permit Requirements

A person is in compliance with this Ordinance if he or she follows the procedures of this Ordinance, receives a permit from Walworth County Land Conservation before beginning activities subject to regulation under this section, and complies with the requirements of the permit.

Permit Required

No person may undertake an activity subject to this Ordinance without obtaining a permit from Walworth County Land Conservation prior to beginning the proposed activity.

Animal Waste Storage Facility & Nutrient Management Plan

Each application for a permit under this section shall include an animal waste storage facility plan and a nutrient management plan. Prior to issuance of a permit, animal waste storage facility plans shall be approved either by the NRCS or a DATCP Engineer or designee, by a registered professional engineer, or by a Land Conservation employee with proper level of certification as granted under the WDATCP agricultural certification program as specified in ATCP 50. The animal waste storage facility plan shall specify:

  • The number and kinds of animals, and duration for which storage is provided.
  • A sketch of the facility and its location in relation to buildings, roads, lot lines and other features within 250 feet, and homes within 500 feet of the proposed facility. The sketch shall be drawn to scale, with a scale no smaller than one inch equals 100 feet.
  • Complete construction specifications, including but not limited to dimensions, cross-section views with dike or wall thickness and material specifications.
  • The location of any wells within 300 feet of the facility.
  • The soil test pit locations and descriptions or logs to a depth of at least three feet below the planned bottom of the facility.
  • The elevation of seasonally high groundwater or bedrock if encountered in the soil profile and the date of any such determinations.
  • Method of transferring animal wastes to the animal waste storage facility.
  • Provisions for adequate drainage and control of runoff to prevent pollution of surface water and groundwater. If a navigable body of water lies within 500 feet of the facility, the location and distance to the body of water shall be shown.
  • The scale of the drawing and north arrow.
  • Description of benchmark(s) including elevation(s) expressed in feet and hundredths.
  • A time schedule for construction of the facility.

Nutrient Management Plan

The Nutrient Management Plan is required initially to ensure that suitable area is available for application of waste. The plan shall conform with the requirement of the USDA-NRCS Technical Guide Standard 590 for Nutrient Management. The Nutrient Management Plan shall specify plans for utilization of the animal waste, including the:

  • Amount of Land Available for Application of Waste
  • Identification of the Areas Where the Waste Will Be Used
  • Proximity to Surface Water
  • Slope of Land
  • Soil Types and Limitations on Waste Application Due to Soil Limitation
  • Type and Proximity of Bedrock or Water Table

View Standard 590 (PDF).