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On-demand access to the nation's science-based resources is one reason why the national Livestock and Poultry Environmental (LPE) Learning Center is hosting monthly webcast seminars.

The webcasts are broadcast on the Internet every third Friday of the month at 2:30 p.m. and cover animal manure management issues.

The landscape of animal agriculture is changing rapidly, especially in relation to environmental issues and public policy. At the same time, major investments in research are resulting in new knowledge and tools for sound environmental decision making. The LPE Learning Center project was initiated in an effort to widen access to this information, utilizing existing avenues where possible, and developing innovative delivery methods where needed.

"It's very important that producers stay up to date with current technology and the latest management practices that can help them do an even better job at protecting the environment," said David White, executive director of the Ohio Livestock Coalition.

The first webcast on Sept. 15 dealt with land grant universities working with the Comprehensive Nutrient Management Plan (CNMP) and its role in Technical Service Provider (TSP) education.

The next webcast is Oct. 20. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is revising the National Pollution Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permitting requirements and Effluent Limitations Guidelines for Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations (CAFOs) in response to the order issued by the Second Circuit Court of Appeals. This change will impact several key provisions of current EPA regulations governing animal agriculture.

George Utting, who is with the Water Permits Division in EPA’s Office of Wastewater Management, will present these proposed changes for the Oct. 20 seminar. Utting has provided leadership within EPA in the drafting of the 2003 comprehensive changes to the regulations and these most recent proposed changes.

The webcasts can be found on the LPE Web site at http://lpe.unl.edu/webcast3.html.