Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations (CAFO) General Permit: Am I regulated?
Find out if your livestock or poultry production operation qualifies for coverage under the CAFO general permit (TXG920000) or an individual permit.
TCEQ reissued the CAFO General No. TXG920000, with an effective date of July 20, 2024.
Facilities Likely to be Regulated by this General Permit
This general permit (GP) provides coverage for both TPDES large and State-only CAFOs. TPDES large CAFOs are CAFO facilities that meet the head count for a large CAFO under the definition in the GP. State-only CAFOs are dairy CAFO facilities that meet the headcount for a medium CAFO and are located in certain counties of the state. State-only CAFOs also include animal feeding operations that are designated by the Executive Director as a CAFO because they are a significant contributor of pollutants into water in the state. Please visit the webpage Is My Operation a CAFO for additional resources to help you determine if your facility is considered a CAFO and requires a permit.
Manure, sludge, and wastewater generated by a CAFO shall be retained and used in an appropriate and beneficial manner as provided in this GP.
Unless otherwise limited, manure, sludge, or wastewater may be discharged from a LMU or a retention control structure (RCS) into or adjacent to water in the state from a CAFO authorized under this GP resulting from any of the following conditions:
- a discharge of manure, sludge, or wastewater that the permittee cannot reasonably prevent or control resulting from a catastrophic condition other than a rainfall event;
- overflow of manure, sludge, or wastewater from a RCS resulting from a chronic/catastrophic rainfall event; or
- a chronic/catastrophic rainfall discharge from a LMU that occurs because the permittee takes measures to de-water the RCS in accordance with Part III.A.10(b) of the GP, relating to imminent overflow.
There shall be no discharge of wastewater from the production area into surface water in the state from new source poultry, swine, or veal CAFOs. Wastewater must be contained in RCSs properly designed, constructed, operated, and maintained according to the provisions of this GP.
For specific information on the permit requirements, please refer to the following documents:
Activities not Covered by the General Permit
Your CAFO is not eligible for coverage under this general permit if it:
- is within one mile of coastal natural resource areas.
- is a dairy CAFO and in Segment 1226 or 1255 of the Bosque River watershed (which are a major sole-source impairment zone).
- is, or will be, in the protection zone of a sole-source surface drinking water supply.
- is in an impaired watershed where the total maximum daily load (TMDL) plan requires water quality protection measures more stringent than those required by this general permit.
- is required by our executive director to obtain and operate under an individual permit because the location has significant site-specific environmental concerns.
- has a compliance history rating of “unsatisfactory.” (See Compliance History.)
If any of the above statements are true for your CAFO, coverage must be obtained under an individual permit.
Applying for Coverage under this General Permit
If your CAFO qualifies for coverage under this GP, the steps to follow depend on the status of your facility. Review the descriptions below to determine your facility status and obtain information on how to apply for coverage.
New – A new CAFO is a proposed CAFO facility that has not been constructed or an animal feeding operation (AFO) that expands to become a CAFO applying for coverage under the GP. Visit TCEQ’s Obtaining General Permit Coverage for a New CAFO webpage to obtain information on how to apply for coverage for a new CAFO.
Renewing – An existing facility previously authorized under the CAFO general permit, and is applying for coverage under the general permit. Visit TCEQ’s Obtaining General Permit Coverage for an Existing CAFO webpage for how to apply for a renewal of an existing CAFO.
Significant Expansion – an existing facility currently authorized under the general permit, proposing to increase manure production by more than 50 percent, above the maximum operating capacity stated in the initial authorization for the facility under TXG920000.
Substantial Change – An existing large CAFO facility that is currently authorized under the GP, proposing to apply for a substantial change, as defined in the GP, to the terms of the nutrient management plan that was previously approved for the facility. Visit TCEQ’s Substantial Change to a CAFO general permit authorization webpage to obtain information on how to apply for coverage.
Notice of Change – An existing CAFO facility that is currently authorized under the GP, proposing to update relevant facts in the Notice of Intent (NOI) or NOI attachments change, including but not limited to: permittee address, permittee phone number, any increase in waste production other than those defined as a significant expansion, LMU acreage or boundaries, construction or modification of a RCS, or any change to the site map.
Visit TCEQ’s CAFO: Making Changes webpage to obtain additional information on how to apply for a Change to your Notice of Intent after it has been approved under this GP.
Additional Resources
Concentrated Animal Feeding Operation (CAFO): Is My Operation A CAFO
CAFO definitions, coverage limitations, authorization process for CAFO general permits.
If you have questions, please see our Contact Page or e-mail us at CAFO@tceq.texas.gov.