In 2006, the Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) negotiated a rule revision to IDAPA 58.01.01, Rules for the Control of Air Pollution in Idaho, which added Rules for the Control of Ammonia from Dairy Farms at Sections 760 through 764, requiring dairies above a certain threshold numbers of cows to be subject to industry Best Management Practices (BMPs).  That rulemaking outlined a list of BMPs from which dairies could select various options for controlling ammonia emissions at their dairy farming operations. 

Subsection 764.01 provides that the DEQ Director may approve additional BMPs as new information becomes available to DEQ.  A BMP Review Team comprised of representatives from DEQ, the dairy industry, an environmental group, and other state agencies was subsequently formed to review these new BMPs as they were recommended.

In 2007, the BMP Review Team received a request to approve BMPs using Zeolite, an ammonia reducing product.  After review, the team recommended that the DEQ Director approve these BMPs for use by dairy farming operations.  The purpose of this rulemaking is to revise Subsection 764.02 to include these additional BMPs. 

After consideration of public comments, the rule has been adopted as initially proposed.