#nutrientmanagementplans

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Welcome to the Maryland Risk Management Education Blog, provided by the University of Maryland Department of Agricultural and Resource Economics. This blog provides readers with information on risk management issues important to Maryland agriculture, upcoming events, and new materials that may interest readers.

PA Supreme Court Decides State Nutrient Management Act Preempts Stricter Local Regulation

Megan Todd

Dec 9, 2019
3 min

PA Supreme Court Decides State Nutrient Management Act Preempts Stricter Local Regulation

By Margaret Todd The article is not a substitute for legal advice. See here for the site’s reposting policy. On September 26, 2019, the Pennsylvania Supreme Court sided with a local farmer when it issued a decision that overturned a county ordinance based on preemption. In the case, Berner, et al. v. Montour Township Zoning Hearing Board, et al., the court considered to what extent Pennsylvania’s Nutrient Management Act preempted local nutrient management regulation over agr

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Have a Nutrient Management Plan? Be Prepared for an On-Farm Record Review

Sarah Everhart

May 11, 2016
2 min

Have a Nutrient Management Plan? Be Prepared for an On-Farm Record Review

By Sarah Everhart If you have a Nutrient Management Plan (NMP) administered by the Maryland Department of Agriculture (MDA), then you should be prepared for the MDA to perform an on-farm record review. (Some NMPs are administered by MDE; for an explanation see my earlier post .) The MDA nutrient management specialists conduct several hundred farm audits annually to verify that farmers are properly implementing NMPs to protect water quality. Although the majority of farms sel

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How and When Can I Be Fined for Not Having or Adhering To a Nutrient Management Plan

Sarah Everhart

May 3, 2016
3 min

How and When Can I Be Fined for Not Having or Adhering To a Nutrient Management Plan

By Sarah Everhart According to a recent article in the Bay Journal, the Maryland Department of the Environment (MDE) has undertaken an enforcement action against a Wicomico County farm for not having a Nutrient Management Plan (NMP) and the State is seeking substantial civil penalties from each of the farm’s co-owners for the violations. Hopefully the farmers can reach a resolution with the State of Maryland but given this recent development, I thought it would be a good tim

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Nov 5, 2015
2 min

Weekly News Roundup: November 6th Edition

By Mayhah Suri Senate blocks Federal Water Quality Protection Act (S. 1140) to revise WOTUS, but will debate its elimination Senators on Tuesday voted narrowly to block a measure that would revise the Waters of the U.S. regulation, though the legislators voted to proceed on consideration of a resolution that would effectively eliminate the rule completely. After the bill was blocked, Sen. Joni Ernst, R-Iowa, offered S.J. Res 22 to eliminate the Waters of the U.S. rule entirel

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Cow Palace Decision: A Parade of Horribles

Paul Goeringer

Jun 4, 2015
3 min

Cow Palace Decision: A Parade of Horribles

This post should not be relied upon as legal advice. Back in February, I posted a summary of the Federal district court opinion in the Cow Palace case. This decision found manure to be a solid waste under the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) when the manure was applied beyond whatwas required by the nutrient management plan and plant needs and was leaching into groundwater from improper designed storage facilities. See www.aglaw.umd.edu/blog/wait-now-youre-tel

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Settlement Reached in Washington State Dairy Cases

Paul Goeringer

May 20, 2015
3 min

Settlement Reached in Washington State Dairy Cases

This post should not be construed as legal advice. Earlier this week, three Washington dairies entered into an agreement which would potentially end an ongoing legal battle with various environmental groups. The settlement would require the dairies to double-line their lagoons, limit nutrient applications, and purchase bottle water or reverse osmosis filtration systems for neighboring residents. Many believe that this settlement could set a national precedent for concentrat

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Change in Maryland’s Public Information Act Does Not Effect Nutrient Management Plans

Sarah Everhart

Apr 29, 2015