Loewe - Swine Site (Belle Plaine) - Feedlot Permit

We invite you to comment on the draft permit for the Loewe - Swine Site animal feedlot located in Scott County.

The facility will house 3,200 head of swine in total confinement barns. Liquid manure generated by the animals will be stored within concrete lined storage structures. Manure generated at the facility will be applied to surrounding cropland at agronomic rates. The final animal unit (AU) capacity of the facility will remain unchanged at 960 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.