Lagoon Conversion Program
The Lagoon Conversion Program is a voluntary agricultural cost share program designed specifically to meet the needs of North Carolina's swine farmers. It is administered as a component of the highly successful Agriculture Cost Share Program.
Under LCP, swine farmers may be eligible for up to 90 percent cost share to convert existing swine lagoon and sprayfield systems to innovative animal waste management systems. LCP may also be used to help to establish centralized waste collection and treatment systems to serve existing swine waste management systems that employ the new technology.
Program Background
LCP was signed into law by the General Assembly on Aug. 31, 2007 as General Statute 143-215.101. The program is intended to be technology-neutral. However, until the performance standards are made permanent through rulemaking, approved technologies for the first round of funding must be consistent with the “Development of Environmentally Superior Technologies - Phase 3 Report.”
These performance standards include:
Eliminating direct discharge, seepage or runoff.
Substantially eliminating ammonia emissions.
Substantially eliminating odor.
Substantially eliminating disease-transmitting vectors and pathogens.
Substantially eliminating nutrient and heavy metals in soils and groundwater.
For more information on innovative waste management systems, visit the N.C. State University Animal and Poultry Waste Management Center website at: http://www.cals.ncsu.edu/waste_mgt/smithfield_projects/smithfieldsite.htm
Three Applicants Selected for Swine Farm Lagoon Conversion Program
Now Accepting Applications for Round 1 Funding
The NC General Assemblyappropriated $2 million for Round 1 funding of the LCP. Click on links below for application materials:
1. Application - Swine Farm Innovative AWM System
2. Application - Centralized Waste Collection & Treatment System
3. Application - Interactive Budget Worksheet
Important Dates for Round 1 Funding:
Request for applications - Feb. 1, 2008
Round 1 applications due by 5 p.m. - March 17, 2008
Approval of selected applications - May 5, 2008
Approval of cost share contracts - July 11, 2008
Anticipated start-up of new waste systems - July 1, 2009
Note: Round 1 Funding is intended for existing swine farms only. New and/or expanding systems will not be eligible for funding at this time.
Use of Existing Lagoon Updated Guidance - Approved 052308
For More Information
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Questions? Contact Vernon Cox, chief of the Technical Services Section with the N.C. Division of Soil and Water Conservation, at (919) 715-6109 or vernon.cox@ncmail.net.
Related Links & Downloads
Waste Treatment, NRCS Standard 629 dated June 2006
Division of Water Quality's Animal Feeding Operations Unit: http://h2o.enr.state.nc.us/aps/afou/afou_home.htm
ERC 2008 LCP Report - Presented November 25, 2008 (Report includes Attachments A - D) - PDF format