Loewe-Cattle Site (Henderson) - Feedlot Permit

We invite you to comment on the draft permit for the Loewe - Cattle Site animal feedlot located in Le Sueur County.

The facility will house 1,999 head of beef in partial confinement barns and open lots. Liquid manure generated by the animals will be stored within concrete lined storage structures. Solid manure generated by the animals will be stockpiled at the facility and stockpiled with land application fields. Process wastewater from the facility will be treated via vegetation. Manure generated at the facility will be applied to surrounding cropland at agronomic rates.

This permitting action includes proposed construction of a permanent stockpile and a proposed increase to the animal numbers at the facility. The existing animal holding areas will be used to accommodate the increase in animal numbers. The animal unit (AU) capacity will be increased from 1,500 AU to a final total of 1,999 AU.

This permit requires the facility to be designed, operated, and maintained to prevent discharge to waters, except in an extreme storm event. Operators are required to land apply manure at agronomic rates, observe water setbacks, and maintain records of land application activities, including location, timing, and rate of application. Please refer to the draft permit for additional requirements.

The MPCA’s feedlot permit strives to protect our lakes, rivers, streams, wetlands, and groundwater by preventing manure from polluting water. The permit applies to most aspects of livestock management including the location, design, construction, operation, and management of feedlots and manure handling facilities. Minnesota has approximately 18,000 registered livestock operations.