TCFA Wins Environmental Excellence Award

The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality announced that the Environmental Services Program of the Texas Cattle Feeders Association (TCFA) won the Texas Environmental Excellence Award for Agriculture.

“We’re very pleased that the environmental regulatory agency in Texas agrees that our Environmental Services Program for feedyards is doing a good job helping cattle feeders be good environmental managers,” said Scott Keeling, TCFA chairman.  “But even more than that, the award is recognition that cattle feeders in Cattle Feeding Country have been good environmental managers since the early 1970s.” 

Environmental permits for Texas feedyards were first issued in the early 1970s after TCFA approached state regulators with an offer to jointly work toward establishing environmental guidelines and regulations.  Since then, TCFA has worked closely with feedyards to help ensure environmental standards are met.

In 1992, TCFA developed the cattle industry’s first complete Environmental Quality Assurance Handbook, which became an important resource for feedyard managers.  That was followed in 1993 with the industry’s first model Pollution Prevention Plan developed by TCFA.  This plan became the foundation for similar efforts by other segments of animal agriculture and is still implemented.

TCFA greatly expanded the assistance it gives to feedyards when it initiated its Environmental Services Program in 2001.  “This program is unique,” says TCFA Regulatory Manager Ben Weinheimer, “because it allows TCFA staff to take a more direct, hands-on approach to environmental management.  TCFA assists feedyards with Pollution Prevention Plan record keeping by making quarterly inspections, as well as offers recommendations to further improve environmental management.  In addition, we collect soil, manure, wastewater and water well samples and make appropriate nutrient management recommendations on a site-specific basis.”