Department of Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering
Agricultural Waste Management

Useful Links

Current Events

• Dr. Robert Burns named Assistant Dean for Agriculture, Natural Resources and Resource Development at the University of Tennessee.

• Dr. Robert Burns (current leader for the ABE-AWML) has accepted a new position as the Assistant Dean for Agriculture, Natural Resources and Resource Development at the University of Tennessee.  Dr. Burns will begin his new position with UT Extension on July 1, 2010.  Due to Dr. Burns' departure from ISU, the AWML will not be supporting all of the activities that it has in the past.
• Starting July 1, 2010, Dr. Burns' contact information is:

Dr. Robert T. Burns, P.E.

Assistant Dean - UT Extension

The University of Tennessee

120 Morgan Hall, 2621 Morgan Circle

Knoxville, TN 37996-4522 

Office:  (865) 974-7112

Fax:  (865) 974-1068

Email:   rburnsutk.edu

Skype ID: rtburns

• The current ISU CNMP Certification Program will be ending on June 1, 2010. Information is provided in further detail in the memo distributed electronically on February 23, 2010.
  •  ISU CNMP Certification End of Program Memo
  • Title 190 Part 405

• February 16th, 2009 On-Farm Anaerobic Digestion: Considering the Options.  Amana, Iowa.

• "Deep Pit Swine Facility Flash Fires and Explosions: Sources, Occurrences, Factors, and Management" - This new literature review, produced with funds provided by the Pork Checkoff, addresses some of the industry's questions about the potential of flash fires and explosions related to manure storage and handling and how producers can reduce this possibility.

• EPA Rule Change Provides Exemptions from Reporting Requirements for Air Release of Hazardous Substances from Farm Animal Waste
  

• Now available: 2008 Revised National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System Permit Regulation and Effluent Limitations Guidelines for Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations in Response to the Waterkeeper Decision; Final Report.
  

• Managing Manure Storage during Wet Weather
  

• Mitigating Air Emissions from Animal Feeding Operations-  May 19-21, 2008. Printed Conference Proceedings are available through Midwest Plan Services. Now an electronic version is also available!
  

• Biomass Energy Technical Note No. 1-An Analysis of Energy Production Costs from Manure Anaerobic Digestion Systems on U.S. Livestock Production Facilities is now available through the NRCS. This paper was written in response to the increased interest in Anaerobic Digestion (AD) as an electricity or biogas producer to supply farm energy needs.
  
  
• The results from a recently completed study quantifying ammonia emissions from poultry broiler systems are now available. The study, lead by Iowa State University and conducted in collaboration with the University of Kentucky, monitored ammonia emissions from two Tyson Foods broiler operations in western Kentucky over a one year period. Tyson Broiler Ammonia Emission Monitoring Project 
  
  
• CNMP Core Curriculum is now available! The land grant universities from Iowa, Idaho, Indiana, Michigan and Tennessee worked cooperatively with NRCS to develop a core CNMP educational curriculum and supporting course materials. The educational training materials are available to Land Grant Universities, state NRCS contacts and any other group that would like to use them.
  
  
• Extension of Compliance Dates for the CAFO NPDES Program - EPA has modified the 2003 CAFO Rule to extend two compliance deadlines for operators of CAFOs. Under a final rule, facilities newly defined as CAFOs will have until February 27, 2009 to seek NPDES permit coverage, while all CAFOs will have until that date to implement nutrient management plans (NMPs).  
  

Topics of Interest

• " Managing Manure Storage Structures During Wet Weather". use the following links to see a presentation  by Dr. Robert Burns, or to read a summary.
  
   
  
• List of TSPs certified to prepare CNMPs through the national ISU certification program These individuals have completed the ISU CNMP TSP certification program and are eligible to provide service through TechReg (NRCS's third party service provider program.
  
  

• Chapter 65 of the Iowa Administrative Code for Animal Feeding Operations. This chapter contains rules currently pertaining to animal feeding operations in Iowa.