Odor Management Regulations in Pennsylvania (Act 38 of 2005)

When new or existing Concentrated Animal Operations (CAOs) or Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations (CAFOs) are planning to construct new or expand existing manure storage or animal housing facilities, they are required to develop and implement an Odor Management Plan (OMP) for those new facilities. ONLY the manure storage or animal housing facilities with new construction activities are regulated facilities for the purposes of the Odor Management Act. The odor regulations do not apply to existing facilities. The odor regulations do not address the land application of manure.

What is an Odor Management Plan?

An OMP is a written, site-specific plan that assesses the potential odor impacts from animal housing facilities and manure storage facilities. The Plan identifies practices to be implemented to manage the impact of odors generated from these facilities. Odor management plans are not required to eliminate odors, they only need to manage the offsite impacts. The PA statute recognizes the impracticality of completely eliminating odors associated with agricultural operations, as well as the evolving science of odor management. Farms regulated by this statute must have an approved plan prior to construction of the new or expanded facilities, and any required odor-reducing practices must be fully implemented prior to commencing use of the new or expanded animal housing or manure storage facilities.

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