Field Office Compliance - Field Activity: Staff Action ID - 179587

Opal Eggs Lp - 310700177
1166 HARDIN ROAD Iowa Falls, IA 50126
Franklin County

FO 2

Activity Report
File Name File Type File Date Note
Comments
11/22/2024 We also discussed water use and dead animal options. They didn't think the site would exceed 25,000 gal/day as a pullet farm and there is no other usage of water in the feed mill. They were not sure on dead disposal, may compost or take to the landfill. Jerry said they would also need to build a biosecurity wash bay that sprays the entire truck down before entering or exiting the site. I advised they would need to collect the wash water and likely haul it to a wastewater facility for disposal. I said land application would be an option but will need to be permitted through wastewater engineering. I said a septic system would likely not be allowed. Greg is the manager of the Coulter pullet site and would also be adding a bio-wash, so he said hauling it would be the most practical option. They may also decide to add another pullet barn at Coulter, so I said that would require a construction permit. I also recommended adding some protection between the load-out bay and the creek. Currently it appears drainage from the bay would flow directly toward the creek, about 50 yards away. They agreed and proposed adding some kind of a barrier or small berm around the bay to contain any spilled dry manure. DANIEL WATTERSON
11/22/2024 I met with Jerry Whitehorn, Greg Hanson, and Landon Plagge at the site to discuss conversion to a pullet site. Jerry explained they would convert 5 of the 6 barns to pullets, with max of 130,000 per building. It may be less if they choose cage-free layout. All they would be changing is internal barn equipment, no changes to manure storage would be made. Manure would remain to be transferred from the barns to a load-out bay, where it is placed in a truck to be hauled out directly. They proposed not using the off-site manure storage bunker due to the reduced manure volume from the pullets. They also hope the remodeling of the barns will result in a drier manure product than the site formally produced. I explained as long as there is no change to the manure storage, no construction permits are required to convert the barns. I said adding a new manure storage structure, or even converting one barn, may be difficult given the site's close distance to a creek. I said they could build secondary containment, but there may not even be enough space for that. Landon would be their 200A manure manager and plans to work with local farmers to deliver the manure directly to their fields. He may also build or use his own existing storage facilities for manure stockpiles. I explained as long as the manure is transferred properly via 200A, a complete MMP would not be required. It was discussed potentially selling the off-site bunker and then allowing it to be a 200A storage structure. I said that may be possible but I would likely need to confirm that was allowed under the rules of manure structures. I advise Jerry to provide me a written description of their plans for the site and DNR could review it to ensure no AFO construction rules would be triggered. DANIEL WATTERSON
Compliance Tracking
Action Type Date Completed Date Comment
State of Iowa DNR Home Site Policy
Leading Iowans in caring for our natural resources
Version: 2.3.0.23170
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