Regulations and approvals

The Agricultural Operations Act, administered by the Ministry of Agriculture (MOA), provides the regulations and guidelines for intensive livestock operations (ILOs) in the province.

The Act's intensive livestock provisions ensure that ILOs develop and operate according to plans which protect ground water and surface water.

The nuisance provisions protect farmers from unwarranted nuisance lawsuits, and provide a mechanism for resolving disputes.

An intensive livestock operation is defined as the confinement of one "animal unit" within less than 4,000 square feet. Animal units are a means of comparing different livestock species and types of operations. For beef, an animal unit is defined as one cow or bull, 1.5 feeder animals, two replacement heifers, or four calves.

Approvals are required for ILOs that meet any of the following conditions:

• Involve 300 or more animal units;
• Contain an earthen manure storage area;
• Involve more than 20 animal units and is located within 300 metres of surface water not contained on the operator's property;
• Involve more than 20 animal units and is located within 30 metres of a domestic water well not controlled by the operator.

The intensive livestock provisions deal with the establishment of any existing, expanding or new ILO. The producer must submit a waste storage plan and a waste management plan to the MOA for approval. There are no grandfathering exemptions.

The MOA provides a single page Farm Facts, Self Evaluation for Approval of Plans under The Agricultural Operations Act, to assist producers and potential producers in determining the compliance status of an existing ILO or a proposed new ILO site.

The MOA Regional Specialist is the lead contact in making an application. He/she guides the preparation of the application, conducts the initial review, may request additional information or points of clarification, and then forwards the application package to the provincial specialist.

An extensive review is undertaken of proposed projects to determine the potential risks to ground and surface water.

Waste storage plans must include the total storage volume, detailed drawings for location determination and construction dimensions, emptying options and a geotechnical analysis of the site.

An application may be referred to other agencies for further review. These agencies include:

• Rural municipalities;
• Ministry of Environment;
• Ministry of Municipal Affairs;
• Saskatchewan Watershed Authority;
• Ministry of Highways and Infrastructure;
• Any other identified stakeholder that may be affected.

Referral agencies are asked to respond within 40 days, and a decision is usually made by the provincial specialist within 10 days of receiving the last response.

For more information, request a copy of the Environmental Review Guidelines for Intensive Livestock Operations, available from the MOA.

Rural municipalities have authority for land use and siting. There are 298 rural municipalities, and about half have bylaws in place dealing with ILOs. Local support is critical for the establishment of a successful ILO. Contact the rural municipality for details.

Permits, approvals and licenses may be required from the Ministry of Agriculture; Saskatchewan Watershed Authority; the Ministry of  Environment; Ministry of Highways and Infrastructure; Ministry of Municipal Affairs; Ministry of Health; and the local municipalities.

Potential buyers should ensure that all necessary approvals and permits are in place prior to purchase, or be assured such requirements can be met in the future.