March 2009

CLEANEast program selects Technical Assistance Providers (TAPs)—The CLEANEast program has finished the process of selecting and training TAPs. For more information, including a list of the selected TAPs, visit the Technical Assistance Providers page.

June 2008

GIS Report—The RTI/NCSU team used Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and a variety of datasets to identify livestock operation density, environmentally impacted areas, state policy status, and availability of USDA certified technical service providers (TSPs) in the eastern United States. A variety of maps such as farm density, animal density, impaired waters, nitrogen deposition, and the availability of TSPs were created as a result of this analysis. The maps will help to identify locations in the eastern United States that may be in the greatest need of technical assistance to livestock operations to help meet EPA’s water quality goals.

Advisory Committee on Strategy and Science—The Advisory Committee on Strategy and Science held their second meeting on June 24. Main topics of discussion included the GIS Report, the Environmental Assessment and Nutrient Management Plan Tools and the Outreach plan.

January 2008

Advisory Committee on Strategy and Science—The Advisory Committee on Strategy and Science held their first meeting at RTI International in Research Triangle Park, NC. This initial meeting focused the overall Goals and objectives for this project along with the role of the Advisory Committee. The development of the Environmental Assessment and Nutrient Management Tools was also discussed. The next meeting of the Advisory Committee meeting will be held in June 2008.

November 2007

Advisory Committee on Strategy and Science—In support of the Comprehensive Environmental Assessments and Nutrient Management Plans for Livestock Operations project, RTI and North Carolina State University have created an Advisory Committee on Strategy and Science. This committee is comprised of experts from academia, industry, state government, and the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS). Dr. Leonard Bull, Professor of Animal Science and Associate Director of the NCSU Animal and Poultry Waste Management Center (APWMC), is chair of this committee and is the liaison with project management. The Advisory Committee’s charge will be two-fold: 1) to provide input on strategies in outreach and the implementation of the nationwide field assistance program, and 2) to provide scientific advice on environmental assessment (EA) and nutrient management plan (NMP) tool selection/development.

October 2007

Study: Livestock Operators to Learn Strategies to Improve Air, Water Quality

Research Triangle Park, N.C.—Researchers at RTI International and North Carolina State University will develop a program to conduct voluntary and confidential environmental assessments of livestock operations in the Eastern United States to help identify and adopt practices that protect the environment.

Researchers will work with representatives of the dairy, beef, poultry and swine sectors to develop a program that will be a valuable resource for livestock producers.

As part of a four-year grant from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency worth almost $4 million, RTI and NCSU will work with volunteer farms in 27 Eastern states to identify environmental challenges and develop approaches to reduce air emissions and runoff from livestock operations to water sources.

The researchers will also assemble state and federal environmental assessments and nutrient management planning tools to assist livestock operators.

"We are very excited to be working with NCSU on this new program. The principal investigators from RTI and NCSU, Marion Deerhake, Leonard Bull, Ph.D., and Mark Rice have assembled an exceptional team," said Terry Pierson, Ph.D., vice president of Environmental Sciences at RTI. "The environmental assessments and nutrient management plan evaluations will enable livestock operators to better understand how their sites affect the air and water quality. With these assessments, livestock operators will be able to make informed decisions about ways to reduce environmental emissions and runoff."

As part of the project, researchers will offer suggestions designed to alleviate any potential environmental deficiencies found at a farm.

"All environmental assessments will be confidential," said Rice, North Carolina Cooperative Extension specialist at NCSU. "When researchers visit a farm, they will assess the potential for water and air pollution and the farm's nutrient management plan."

Rice said it would take six months to a year to develop assessment tools. Researchers will then begin looking for farmers willing to take part in the program.

RTI News Media Contacts:

news@rti.org
Lisa Bistreich: 919-316-3596
Patrick Gibbons: 919-541-6136
PO Box 12194
Research Triangle Park, NC 27709-2194