6 Truth #1 Environmental Issues are Uncommon on Illinois Livestock Farms Livestock farmers have multiple layers of regulations with which to comply with in Illinois. Multiple agencies, at both the federal and state level, govern livestock production, giving Illinois a comprehensive regulatory program. The majority of the regulation of livestock farms in Illinois occurs at the state level. •  ILLINOIS DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE (IDOA) governs the siting, design and construction of new and expanding livestock farms through the Livestock Management Facilities Act (LMFA). •  ILLINOIS ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY (IEPA) administers the United States Environmental Protection Agency’s (USEPA) livestock program under the Clean Water Act (CWA), and also has authority to administer and enforce the Illinois Environmental Protection Act. •  ILLINOIS DEPARTMENT OF NATURAL RESOURCES (IDNR) addresses any issues related to impacted wildlife and aquatic life. •  ILLINOIS DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC HEALTH (IDPH) permits and inspects dairy farms in Illinois to ensure milk is produced from healthy cows that are raised in a healthy environment. •  ILLINOIS ATTORNEY GENERAL’S OFFICE (AGO) has independent authority with regard to any livestock related pollution and can enforce against livestock farmers through the Illinois Pollution Control Board (IPCB) or in circuit court. On the federal level: •  UNITED STATES ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY (USEPA) is an active participant in IEPA’s program, and can also address issues and inspect livestock farms. •  UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE (USDA) - NATURAL RESOURCES CONSERVATION SERVICE (NRCS) is a federal agency that has standards farmers must follow for voluntary, incentive-based conservation practices, which address manure management. All of these agencies work together, via regular communication and established processes to protect the environment. In Illinois, the combination of existing, robust regulations, on going industry educational efforts and farmer investment have significantly improved the environmental performance of today’s livestock farmers over the past several decades. Due to these factors, there are minimal environmental issues that occur on livestock farms throughout the state. ILLINOIS LIVESTOCK FARMS MUST COMPLY WITH SEVERAL REGULATIONS THAT PROTECT THE ENVIRONMENT AND CITIZENS REGULATIONS REGULATIONS STATE IDOA IEPA IDNR IDPH AGO IPCB FEDERAL USEPA NRCS