Call for Input: Alberta Manure Management Regulations

From: Ann Baran (Southern Alberta Group for the Environment):

I currently represent the NGO sector on the NRCB Policy Advisory Group and was asked to participate in a meeting via webex with representatives from Alberta Agriculture and Forestry. Representatives from different sectors of agriculture were also invited to join the call. The call was organized to share with the group proposed actions planned by Alberta Agriculture and Forestry to implement Premier Kenney's "red tape reduction program" which applies to legislation currently in place. With agriculture this would apply to the Agriculture Operation Practices Act. This particular round of discussions relates specifically to the Agricultural Operations, Part 2 Matters Regulation and the Standards and Administration Regulation associated with AOPA which is scheduled to expire January 31, 2021. I did ask about Part 1 of the legislation and was assured the same process will apply to that section of AOPA but at a later date. In that particular section of the act, odour is considered as a "nuisance" and we have been trying for years to get Part 1 opened up for a review with no success. Hopefully AF follows through with their promise.

As key stakeholders, we have been asked to provide input on potential opportunities for change regarding the manure management regulations. Our input will help inform Alberta Agriculture and Forestry in the review of the Agricultural Operations, Part 2 Matters Regulation and the Standards and Administration Regulation to evaluate undue regulatory burden to interested parties, while still ensuring manure management standards.

The attachments above include background information as well as a questionnaire that we have been asked to fill out.  The attached questionnaire will take approximately a half an hour to complete and during the call we were told any additional suggestions not included in the questionnaire would also be welcome. The act (AOPA) can be accessed on the Alberta Government website. Unfortunately, the deadline for sector submissions is September 21 but the comments/suggestions must be compiled into one submission per sector and industry group which does take time. I would appreciate anyone who is interested in completing the questionnaire as well as providing comments to send them to me as soon as possible, hopefully by next Thursday. I will incorporate the responses into one submission and share the completed document with everyone for any additional comments before it is submitted on September 21. Some of the questions may have more than one response depending on the feedback I receive so if only one answer is accepted, I plan to include the additional comments in some way at the end of the questionnaire.

Please submit your responses to : [email protected].

Thank you,

Ann