CAFO Contacts

Who to Contact and Where to Learn More About CAFOs

For more information on CAFOs from the Michigan Chapter of the Sierra Club or for questions about conducting water sampling contact Christy McGillivray or Chapter Director Elayne Elliot.

CAFO Information In General  
Information to help you further your research of CAFOs. Understanding as much as possible about this industry will help you fight it effectively.

USEPA CAFO
General information on concentrated animal feeding operations.

Animal Feeding Operations USEPA Laws, Regulations, Policies, Guidance
Information about environmental laws and regulations that affect CAFOs.

NPDES State Contacts
Who to contact regarding Water Permits Division of the U.S. EPA, which manages the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit program.

Michigan CAFO Information
MDEQ links to Concentrated Animal Feeding Operation permit-related information.

Clean Water Act
Link to the Federal Water Pollution Control Act, commonly referred to as the Clean Water Act (CWA).

Code of Federal Regulations
search for "CAFO" to find regulations.

NASS
National Agricultural Statistics Service

NEPA
National Environmental Policy Act of 1969, as amended

USDA-NRCS eFOTG
electronic Field Office Technical Guide (eFOTG) from the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS)

CNMP Watch
CNMP (Comprehensive Nutrient Management Plan) Watch is the complete Web source for manure and nutrient management planning information.

Web Soil Survey
Web Soil Survey (WSS) provides soil data and information produced by the National Cooperative Soil Survey. It is operated by the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) and provides access to the largest natural resource information system in the world.

EPCRA
Summary of the Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act (EPCRA). Go to "Right to Know," Chapter 116.


Michigan-Specific CAFO Information

Michigan CAFO
MDEQ links to Concentrated Animal Feeding Operation permit-related information.

Michigan NPDES permitting
National Pollution Discharge Elimination System lookup. Find NPDES permit information, recently issued permits, and facility information.

CAFO Rules and Definitions (67KB pdf)
 
Michigan Right to Farm Act
Assures Michigan Agriculture Producers the Right to Farm while Promoting Environmental Stewardship

GAAMPS
Department of Agriculture Generally Accepted Agricultural Management Practices

MOU
Memorandum of Understanding between the Michigan Department of Agriculture and the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality 

Collection of Evidence
How to collect and submit water samples to the appropriate regulating agency in Michigan. See CAFO Water Sampling

CEMS
Information on performance specifications for Continuous Emission Monitoring Systems

CAFO-Related Health Complaint Form (pdf)
Sample of a Lenawee County Health Department CAFO-Related Health Complaint form

MAEAP
Michigan Agriculture Environmental Assurance Program is an innovative, proactive program that helps farms of all sizes and all commodities voluntarily prevent or minimize agricultural pollution risks.

Michigan Water Quality Standards
from the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality on Water Resources Protection

Water Use Questions (pdf)
2007 questionnaire sent to agricultural water users to ensure compliance with Michigan's water use reporting law


The EPA provides a list of EPA and state contacts for animal feeding operations issues on its Website. If you would like to report a problem or concern regarding CAFOs, please contact the EPA or the appropriate Federal and state entities that regulate or oversee concentrated animal feeding operations in the state.

United States Environmental Protection Agency: National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System
The NPDES program regulates the discharge of pollutants from point sources to waters of the United States.
 
Animal Feeding Operations Contacts
EPA Headquarters and Regional Office Contacts, as well as State Agency Contacts
 
Contacts for EPA Regional Offices
Search EPA databases to learn more about environmental conditions in your community.
 

Local or state health departments provide the first level of response to a suspected clusters of cancer and other diseases. These agencies, along with the state cancer registry, collect and analyze local-level data and calculate expected and actual disease rates.

Michigan Department of Community Health
Capitol View Building
201 Townsend Street
Lansing, Michigan 48913
Telephone: (517) 373-3740
 
Michigan Cancer Surveillance Program
Division for Vital Records and Health Statistics Michigan Department of Community Health
201 Townsend Street
PO Box 30691
Lansing, MI 48913
Telephone: (517) 335-8702

Michigan Department of Environmental Quality
For information or questions about the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality, please call 1-800-662-9278

Concentrated Animal Feeding Operation (CAFO)
links to Concentrated Animal Feeding Operation permit related information

Centers for Disease Control studies Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations (CAFOs) to find out whether or how these and other substances from CAFOs affect human health. CDC is not the regulatory agency for CAFOs. Visit the CDC Website for more information on what the CDC is doing related to CAFOs.

Do not hesitate to call 1-800-CDC-INFO, cdcinfo@cdc.gov or visit the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention if you have any additional questions.
 

To locate the name of a CAFO, its location, and phone number, try one of the sites below.  Not sure how to use the search features?  Just type in the information that you do know, and see what you find.  You'll sometimes learn that one CAFO owner is doing business under several different business names. 

Aerial photo sources - note that you may need a high-speed connection to use some of these services effectively, or your computer may bog down in the download. 

Environmental aerial service for research and public education: Lighthawk.org