Confined Animal Feeding Operations and Water Quality Regulation in Oregon

The Oregon Department of Environmental Quality and the Oregon Department of Agriculture jointly manage water quality permit development for Confined Animal Feeding Operations, or CAFOs. These are agricultural facilities where large numbers of animals are raised and fed in a confined space.

DEQ's Water Quality Division and ODA's CAFO Program work together to issue two types of water quality permits for qualifying CAFO facilities that have the potential to discharge waste to surface water or groundwater. While ODA is the lead agency for regulating CAFOs, DEQ is the lead agency for water quality. DEQ provides guidance, advice, and technical support for rulemaking processes, permit development and implementation, compliance activities, and programmatic data management in adherence with federal and state water quality regulations. ODA and DEQ jointly review permit applications for large CAFOs and CAFOs proposed within a Groundwater Management Area, or GWMA, to ensure protection of surface water and groundwater resources.

Updated Regulations

In 2023, Senate Bill 85 directed ODA to expand regulations related to CAFOs. Key provisions include:

• Rules for new and expanding CAFO facilities,
• Requirements to ensure adequate water rights for operational water needs,
• Increased protections for GWMAs, and
• Improved coordination between state agencies and tribal governments.

DEQ participated in finalizing the new rules and facilitating educational outreach efforts to CAFO permittees across the state.

As part of implementing the new rules, DEQ will coordinate with ODA and the Oregon Water Resources Department (WRD) to:

• Host preliminary application consultations with prospective permittees,
• Review water supply plans as part of the CAFO permit application,
• Update the water quality permits with the new provisions, and
• Develop a new Nutrient Application Permit for applicators who do not hold a CAFO permit but land apply CAFO nutrients within a GWMA. 

Additional Resources

• ODA's CAFO Program:
• Includes current public notices and opportunities to comment.
• Senate Bill 85 FAQ provides information for Oregon's CAFO operators about Senate Bill 85 and related ODA CAFO rule changes.
• Read more about Meat processing and slaughter facilities regulations
  
• Laws and rules regulating CAFOS:
• Oregon Revised Statute Chapter 468B.
• Oregon Administrative Rules Chapter 340 Division 51.
• Oregon Administrative Rules Chapter 603 Division 74.

Contact

For questions about DEQ's role in regulating water quality related to CAFOs, please contact deq.cafo@deq.oregon.gov