Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations

National Information

Animal Feeding Operations (AFOs) are places where animals are kept and raised in confined situations. AFOs that meet the regulatory definition of a concentrated animal feeding operation (CAFO) may be regulated under EPA's National Point Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permitting program. This program helps ensure that animal waste and wastewater are properly managed and do not enter water bodies from spills or breaks of waste storage structures and the non-agricultural application of manure to crop land.

EPA's final CAFO rule (signed December 15, 2002) revises and clarifies regulatory requirements for concentrated animal feeding operations under the Clean Water Act.

EPA refers to the actual number of animals at an operation to determine if it is a CAFO. Click here to view a summary of how the regulations define Large, Medium, and Small CAFOs. (PDF, 25K, about PDF files)

There are approximately 1,000 CAFOs in Region 8. All Region 8 states - Colorado, Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, Utah and Wyoming - have been authorized to implement the NPDES program and issue permits to these CAFOs. EPA Region 8 issues NPDES permits to CAFOs in Indian country.

To find out the requirements in your state, please visit the CAFO Contacts page.

For information and statistics on agriculture, consult the US Department of Agriculture's National Agriculture Statistics Service web page.

Regional Contacts

EPA Region 8 CAFO NPDES Permits Program
Qian Zhang
zhang.qian@epa.gov
EPA Region 8 (8P-W-WW)
1595 Wynkoop Street
Denver, CO 80202-1129
303-312-6267

EPA Region 8 CAFO NPDES Technical Enforcement Program
Jennifer Meints
meints.jennifer@epa.gov
EPA Region 8 (8ENF-W-NP)
1595 Wynkoop Street
Denver, CO 80202-1129
303-312-6334

State Contacts in Region 8

COLORADO

Ron Jepson
ron.jepson@state.co.us
Water Quality Control Division
Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment
4300 Cherry Creek Drive South
Denver, CO 80246-1530
(303) 692-3520/3523

UTAH

Don Hall
dghall@utah.gov
Division of Water Quality
Utah Department of Environmental Quality
P.O. Box 144870
Salt Lake City, Utah 84114-4870
(801) 538-9251

WYOMING

Brian Lovett
blovet@state.wy.us
Water Quality Division
Wyoming Department of Environmental Quality
Herschler Building, 4th Floor West
122 W. 25th Street
Cheyenne, WY 82002
(307) 777-7347

MONTANA

Kari Smith
karsmith@mt.gov
Water Protection Bureau
Montana Department of Environmental Quality
PO Box 200901
Helena, Montana 59620
(406) 444-1454

NORTH DAKOTA

Gary D. Bracht
gbracht@ state.nd.us
North Dakota Department of Health
Water Quality Division
1200 Missouri Ave
P.O. Box 5520
Bismarck, ND 58506-5520
(701) 328-5210

SOUTH DAKOTA

Kent Woodmansey
kent.woodmansey@state.sd.us
Surface Water Quality Program
Joe Foss Building
523 East Capitol Avenue
Pierre, SD 57501-3182
(605) 773-3351/4609

National Information