Assessing Environmental Impacts of

Poultry Farms
Supplementary Guidance for IPPC
Applications

DRAFT

Pre pare d for:

SNIFFER Poultry Case Study
Air - (98)18 (extension)

Re port pre pare d by:

M J Sharp
Environmental Consultant
SAC
August 2003

Assessing environmental impacts of poultry farms. Supplementary guidance for IPPC applications
Prepared for SNIFFER project Air-(98)18 (extension). DRAFT August 2003
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________

Explanatory Note:

If you have a copy of the example of supporting documentation issued in April / May
2003, the section on environmental impacts (B4.1) will contain references to green, amber
and red zones reflecting the significance of predicted impacts from the farm under
assessment. This guidance has developed a slightly different approach to that envisaged
and references to green, amber and red zones should be ignored.

CONTENTS
1.

INTRODUCTION.............................................................................................3

1.1
1.2
1.3
1.4

Why do I need to assess the environmental impacts......................................3

Aim and scope of this guidance .......................................................................3
What will more detailed investigation involve? .............................................3
Basic stages of environmental assessment......................................................3

2.

THE EN VIRONMENTAL IMPACT PROCES S ..........................................5

2.1
S tep 1: Identify activities likely to affect the environment ..........................5
2.2
S tep 2: Determine the effects of emissions on the environment ...................5
2.2.1
Establishing the potential effects of emissions ........................................5
2.2.2
Impacts on human health .........................................................................6
2.3
S tep 3: S ignificance of environmental impacts - identify sensitive
receptors.............................................................................................................6
2.4
S tep 4: Assessing the environmental impact..................................................8
2.4.1
Ammonia ....................................................................................................8
2.4.2
Interpreting the ammonia look-up table .................................................8
2.4.3
When will a more detailed study be required?.......................................9
2.5
Reporting your findings ...................................................................................9
3.

AMMONIA TABLES .....................................................................................10

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Assessing environmental impacts of poultry farms. Supplementary guidance for IPPC applications
Prepared for SNIFFER project Air-(98)18 (extension). DRAFT August 2003
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________

1.

INTRODUCTION

1.1

Why do I need to assess the environmental impacts

The Pollution Prevention and Control (Northern Ireland) Regulations 2003
and the Pollution Prevention and Control (Scotland) Regulations 2000 require
you to provide an assessment of the environmental impacts of the emissions
from your farm. Questions in Section B4 of the application form ask for an
assessment of the potential significant environmental effects of the foreseeable
emissions from your installation. A proper assessment of the impacts is
necessary to allow appropriate permit conditions to be set and will help to
ensure that your installation is operated in a sustainable manner.

1.2

Aim and scope of this guidance

Assessing environmental impacts can be a specialised task requiring the input
of a number of scientific disciplines. The aim of this guidance is to provide
farmers with the information to allow them to make a basic assessment of the
environmental impacts without recourse to specialist help. This guidance
follows the format set out in the guidance Application for a Permit - Example
1
of Supporting Documentation and aims to provide additional advice on the
methods used, based on information you provide about your farm.
The scope of this guidance is to provide an initial screening tool that will
provide a basic assessment of environmental impacts. Based on farm size and
their proximity to sensitive receptors, it will allow you to provide an
assessment of impacts from the installation and identify whether further
detailed investigation is or is not necessary. It is important to recognise that it
is not a substitute for more detailed investigation in cases where farms are
located close to sensitive receptors.

1.3

What will more detailed investigation involve?

In cases where more detailed investigation is required, emission data and
weather data suitable for your location will be measured or estimated, and
used in a mathematical atmospheric dispersion model. The model will
calculate the spread of the emission, usually ammonia, odours, or small dust
particles around the source. M ost models will draw a contour plot around the
source. The plot shows the ground level concentrations of the pollutants
emitted and these concentrations can be compared with benchmark levels or
standards.
Atmospheric dispersion modelling services are available
commercially.

1.4

Basic stages of environmental assessment

The basic stages of assessing the environmental impacts of your installation
can be summarised:

Pollution Prevention and Control (Northern Ireland) Regulations 2003 and Pollution
Prevention and Control (Scotland) Regulations 2000. Application for a Permit - Example of
Supporting Documentation. Prepared for SNIFFER Poultry Case Study Air-(98)18

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Assessing environmental impacts of poultry farms. Supplementary guidance for IPPC applications
Prepared for SNIFFER project Air-(98)18 (extension). DRAFT August 2003
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________

identify the activities of the installation that are likely to affect the
environment (the nature and quantity of emissions to air , water and land
were established in Part B3.1 of the IPPC application form);
identify the potential effects of emissions on resources and receptors.
Resources affected are likely to include air, water and soil, receptors may
be crops, woodland plants or people affected by the emissions;
determine the pathways linking the emission with resources or receptors.
Links between the source of pollution, such as animal housing, and the
receptor may be direct or indirect. For example, ammonia from fan outlets
may have a direct toxic effect on trees nearby. This would be a short term
direct effect. Ammonia in the atmosphere falling on sensitive sites
downwind of the farm may result in changes over time due to increased
nutrients. This would be a long-term indirect effect;
predict the likely nature and magnitude of any effects. For example, the
impact of any fertilising effects of ammonia on arable land may be
negligible, but the same fertilising effect on a semi-natural woodland could
be considerable. Spreading litter immediately up-wind of a housing estate
could result in a severe but short term impact.

The following sections of this guidance will describe how to apply the above
stages using the format in the example documentation.

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Assessing environmental impacts of poultry farms. Supplementary guidance for IPPC applications
Prepared for SNIFFER project Air-(98)18 (extension). DRAFT August 2003
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________

2.

THE EN VIRONMENTAL IMPACT PROCES S

2.1

S tep 1: Identify activities likely to affect the environment

Note all the activities you undertake on the farm and consider their potential to
adversely affect the environment. The main impacts from poultry rearing are
the effects of ammonia, odour and dust emissions from housing, and from land
spreading of litter. Other activities such as inappropriate litter utilisation and
poor management of the site can result in contaminated run-off entering
watercourses and contaminating soil.
Because the poultry industry is relatively homogenous in nature, it is
practicable to list the main activities likely to affect the environment. The
following table lists a range of typical activities and the associated negative
environmental impact. You should consider carefully your own situation and
include any activity that has a negative environmental impact.
Activit y
Rearing in poultr y housing
Cleaning hard standing
housi ng
Incineration of c arcasses

around

Litter utilisation

Transport operations
Noisy operations (feed deli veries
etc.)
Storage of fuel
Disposal of disinfectants

Negative environmental affect

Emission of ammonia, odours and dust to atmos phere and
subsequent depositi on on l and.
Contaminated run-off entering waterc ourses.
Stac k emissions to the atmospher e (SO2, NOx odours), ash build
up in soil around incinerator.
Emissions of ammonia and odours to atmosphere; surfac e run-off
to watercourses ; nutrient enrichment of soil; nitr ate l eac hing from
soil, increas e in s oil mineral and metal c ontent.
Increas ed traffic, noise and disturbanc e.
Noise nuisanc e.
Potential for soil and water contamination.
Potential for soil and water contamination

2.2

S tep 2: Determine the effects of emissions on the environment

2.2.1

Establishing the potential effects of emissions

Quantifying environmental effects is dependant on the number, type and
proximity of sensitive receptors, but a generic assessment of the potential
effects of emissions can be made by listing the main emissions from the
installation and outlining their potential effects on air, water, soil, ecosystems,
people etc. The table below provides an example appropriate for the poultry
industry, you should include any additional information relevant to your
installation.

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Assessing environmental impacts of poultry farms. Supplementary guidance for IPPC applications
Prepared for SNIFFER project Air-(98)18 (extension). DRAFT August 2003
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________

Emissions from in stallation and asso ciat ed activities

Ammonia

Potential effect on air , wat er, soil, p eople,

ecosystem s et c.

Possible direct toxic affect on trees clos e to

sheds .

Nutrient enrichment or fertilising effects on

crops, pl ants and water surrounding installation.

Increas ed acidificati on of s oil close to s heds.

Changes to s ensiti ve ecos ys tems suc h as natural

woodland, heathland or peatland.

Reduc ed biodi versity.

Contributes to greenhouse gases.

Contributes to climate change.

Contributes to odours

Odours

Dust

Stac k emissions from inci nerators

Run-off c ontaminated with organic matter i.e. from litter

or contaminated areas around housi ng.

Noise

Fuel/chemic al spillage

Nuisance to r esidents and other users of the

locality when at concentrati ons unc haracteristic of
the area.
Potential for damage to pl ants and trees clos e to
sheds .
Contributes to odours
Potential nutrient enrichment of water.
Potential i mpacts on air quality
Odour nuis ance.
Emission of acid gas es contributing to acid
deposition.
Increas ed biochemical oxygen demand (BOD) of
watercours es.
N & P levels in excess of crop requirements in
soil
Nutrient leachi ng
to
watercourses
and
groundwater.
Eutrophicati on
(nutrient
enrichment)
of
watercours es and ground water.
Potential for increased mi neral and metal content
of soils
Noise creati ng nuisance for loc al residents and
altering the character of rural environments.
Contamination of watercourses or soil killing fish
and invertebrates.

2.2.2

Impacts on human health

You should also consider the effects of emissions on humans. Emissions such
as dust, odours and noise all have the potential to cause pollution (as defined
in the regulations) and harm human health or cause offence if contact is
prolonged and exposure is excessive. Provided the installation has been sited
appropriately, it should be sufficiently remote from people to avoid adverse
impacts on health, but you should consider the possibility and give details of
any circumstances where impacts on health may occur.

2.3

S tep 3: S ignificance of environmental impacts - identify sensitive

receptors
The effects of emissions from your installation can be varied and depend to a
large degree on the type and proximity of sensitive receptors to your
installation. It is therefore important to establish the number and nature of any
sensitive receptors located around your installation. Emissions from large
poultry farms can cause adverse impacts at some distance from the farm. For
this reason it is important that you establish whether there are any sensitive

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Assessing environmental impacts of poultry farms. Supplementary guidance for IPPC applications
Prepared for SNIFFER project Air-(98)18 (extension). DRAFT August 2003
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________

receptors within a radius of 2km from the installation. Sensitive receptors can
be statutory designated areas such as:
Areas (or Sites) of Special Scientific Interest (ASSI/SSSI);
National Nature Reserves (NNR);
Environmentally Sensitive Areas (ESA);
local environmental assets such as Tree Preservation Orders (TPO).
European sites are particularly important as these have the highest level of
statutory protection. You must determine if emissions from your installation
are likely to affect sites with a conservation designation (made or proposed)
under the Conservation (Natural Habitats etc.) Regulations (NI) 1995 or in
Scotland the Conservation (Natural Habitats, &c.) Regulations 1994. These
are known as European sites and include:
Special Areas of Conservation (SAC);
Special Protection Areas (SPA);
Some A SSI/SSSIs are potential European sites.
In Northern Ireland the Environment and Heritage Service can provide advice
on designated sites (www.ehsni.gov.uk) and Scottish Natural Heritage can
provide advice in Scotland (www.snh.org.uk)
Statutory designated sites are not the only sensitive receptors, you should
consider the proximity of private dwellings, schools, business premises and so
on as well. Whereas ammonia is the most important emission to consider on
designated sites, odours and dust are more important for dwellings.
Once you have established whether there are any statutory designated sites
within 2 km of your installation you should investigate the surrounding area
for potentially sensitive receptors such as housing, woodland etc. Record your
findings, the Table below provides an example of how this could be done by
recording receptors in zones at 500m increments from the installation. Ensure
that you give details of any sensitive receptors that are designated sites.
Sensiti ve receptors
Dwelling houses
Business premises
Schools, hospitals etc
Coniferous Fores t
Deciduous
Fores t
(designated as ASSI Name, ref)
Dry Heathland
Wet H eathland
Semi - natural grassland
Loughs/ponds
Streams/rivers
Fenland
Bogs
Other designated area
(give details)

within 500 m
Y
N
N
N
N

Proxi mity z ones to installation

501 - 1000 m
1001 - 1500 m
N
Y
Y
Y
N
N
N
Y
N
Y

N
N
N
N
N
N
N

N
N
N
Y
Y
N
N

N
N
N
N
Y
N
N

1501 - 2000 m
Y
N
N
N
Y

N
Y
Y
N
Y
N
N

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Assessing environmental impacts of poultry farms. Supplementary guidance for IPPC applications
Prepared for SNIFFER project Air-(98)18 (extension). DRAFT August 2003
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________

2.4

S tep 4: Assessing the environmental impact

During steps 1 - 3 the following information has been gathered:
farming activities and their associated negative environmental effects;
potential effects of emissions;
sensitive receptors within 2km of the installation.

2.4.1

Ammonia
Step four provides a basic method to quantify the environmental impacts from
the installation. The most significant emission affecting sensitive ecosystems
is ammonia. Ammonia is dispersed down wind and deposited on vegetation.
Usually it is the fertilising effect of the nitrogen component that causes long
term damage or changes to sensitive ecosystems. This happens when a
critical load of nitrogen is exceeded. Emissions from the installation will
contribute some nitrogen, whilst other sources (e.g. other agricultural activity)
will contribute to a background level. The contribution from your farm is
known as the process contribution, and is added to the contribution from
other sources, i.e. the background level. It is important that the contribution
from the installation plus the existing background level do not exceed
2
published critical loads .
To allow a basic assessment of the contribution of ammonia coming from your
installation i.e. the process contribution, a look-up table is provided in
Section 3 below. To use the Table, follow the procedure below:
[IMPORTANT NOTE: The ammonia Tables have been determined using meteorological data for
specific areas, ensure the Table is appropriate f or your location. Inf ormation is provided in each
Table]

1. Select the appropriate table, i.e. for sheds having roof mounted fans, or
sheds having wall mounted fans or automatically controlled natural
ventilation (ACNV).
2. Identify your farm size in terms of numbers of birds in the left hand
column. If your farm is between the ranges given, use the next larger
size.
3. Establish (from the Table prepared in Step 3) the distances of the ammonia
sensitive receptors from your farm.
4. M ake a note of the value in the corresponding box in the table for your
farm size and the distance of each ammonia sensitive receptor. Data for
two main types of sensitive receptor are provided, bogs and woodland.
2.4.2

Interpreting the ammonia look-up table

The value in the box corresponding to a farm size and the distance to two main
types of sensitive receptors, bogs or woodland, is an estimate of the amount of
nitrogen (dry deposition) that the receptor will receive from the installation in

Impacts of Nitrogen on Terrestrial Ecosystems. Report of: The United Kingdom Review
Group on Impacts of Atmospheric Nitrogen. Department of the Environment. October 1994.
ISBN 1 870393 22 8

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Assessing environmental impacts of poultry farms. Supplementary guidance for IPPC applications
Prepared for SNIFFER project Air-(98)18 (extension). DRAFT August 2003
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________

kg N ha-1 year-1. This is the process contribution, it does not include the
background levels. To get a more realistic estimate of the environmental
impact the process contribution is added to the background level.
Data for back ground levels are currently being collated, monitoring is in
progress and data will be made available in the future. You should therefore
use the ammonia table to determine the process contribution from your
installation at sensitive receptors and provide this figure in your application,
along with details of any receptors (from Step 3 above). The value should be
lower than the lower limit of the critical loads shown below. You should note
that in some locations background levels may be high and already exceed
critical loads before the process contribution is added.
Critical loads for bogs and woodland
Receptor
Bogs
Woodland

Critical Lo ad, kg N h a-1 yr-1

5 - 10
15 - 20

2.4.3

When will a more detailed study be required?

Detailed information on background levels is currently being assessed, the
following should be regarded as general guidance. In determining whether a
more detailed study will be necessary the Regulator will consider a number of
factors including the importance of the sensitive receptors, and the size, type
and operation of installation proposed.

2.5

Reporting your findings

Once you have established from the above procedures the extent of the
environmental impacts from your installation, and whether more detailed
investigation is necessary, you should report your findings. The example of
supporting documentation provides an indication of the degree of detail
required, and you may find it helpful to provide a summary of the
environmental impacts in zones from the installation, e.g. 501 - 1000m etc.
In cases where you judge environmental impacts to be not significant, you
should state the rational for this. An example might be woodland close to
poultry housing that receives dust deposition and large quantities of nitrogen
from ammonia emissions. If that woodland had been planted specifically to
screen the sheds, it is of less environmental significance than, for example, an
area of semi-natural woodland.

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Assessing environmental impacts of poultry farms. Supplementary guidance for IPPC applications
Prepared for SNIFFER project Air-(98)18 (extension). DRAFT August 2003
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________

3.

AMMONIA TABLES

Housing with roof mounte d fans [IMPORTANT NOTE: This table is based on meteorological data appropriate f or Northern Ireland only]
Farm siz e
(bird places)

40,000
60,000
80,000
100,000
120,000
140,000
160,000
180,000
200,000
220,000
240,000

500m
Dry depositi on,
Dry depositi on,
bogs, kg N ha-1
woodland, kg N
-1
year
ha-1 year -1
1.5
2.2
2.9
3.6
4.4
5.1
5.8
6.5
7.3
8.0
8.7

2.2
3.3
4.4
5.5
6.5
7.6
8.7
9.8
10.9
12.0
13.1

Distance
1000m
Dry depositi on,
Dry depositi on,
bogs, kg N ha-1
woodland, kg N
-1
year
ha-1 year -1
0.5
0.8
1.0
1.3
1.6
1.8
2.1
2.3
2.6
2.9
3.1

from Farm
Dry depositi on,
bogs, kg N ha-1
year -1

0.8
1.2
1.6
1.9
2.3
2.7
3.1
3.5
3.9
4.3
4.7

1500m
Dry depositi on,
woodland, kg N
ha-1 year -1
0.3
0.5
0.6
0.8
0.9
1.1
1.2
1.4
1.6
1.7
1.9

Dry depositi on,

bogs, kg N ha-1
year -1
0.5
0.7
0.9
1.2
1.4
1.6
1.9
2.1
2.3
2.6
2.8

2000m
Dry depositi on,
woodland, kg N
ha-1 year -1
0.2
0.3
0.4
0.5
0.6
0.7
0.8
0.9
1.0
1.1
1.2

0.3
0.5
0.6
0.8
0.9
1.1
1.2
1.4
1.6
1.7
1.9

Housing with wall mounte d fans or ACNV [IMPORTANT NOTE: This table is based on meteorological data appropriate f or Northern Ireland only]
Farm siz e
(bird places)

40,000
60,000
80,000
100,000
120,000
140,000
160,000
180,000
200,000
220,000
240,000

500m
Dry depositi on,
Dry depositi on,
bogs, kg N ha-1
woodland, kg N
-1
year
ha-1 year -1
5.6
8.4
11.2
14.0
16.8
19.6
22.4
25.2
28.0
30.8
33.6

8.4
12.6
16.8
21.0
25.2
29.4
33.6
37.8
42.0
46.3
50.5

Distance
1000m
Dry depositi on,
Dry depositi on,
bogs, kg N ha-1
woodland, kg N
-1
year
ha-1 year -1
1.6
2.3
3.1
3.9
4.7
5.5
6.2
7.0
7.8
8.6
9.3

from Farm
Dry depositi on,
bogs, kg N ha-1
year -1

2.3
3.5
4.7
5.8
7.0
8.2
9.3
10.5
11.7
12.8
14.0

1500m
Dry depositi on,
woodland, kg N
ha-1 year -1
0.8
1.2
1.7
2.1
2.5
2.9
3.3
3.7
4.2
4.6
5.0

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Dry depositi on,

bogs, kg N ha-1
year -1
1.2
1.9
2.5
3.1
3.7
4.4
5.0
5.6
6.2
6.9
7.5

2000m
Dry depositi on,
woodland, kg N
ha-1 year -1
0.5
0.8
1.0
1.3
1.6
1.8
2.1
2.3
2.6
2.9
3.1

0.8
1.2
1.6
1.9
2.3
2.7
3.1
3.5
3.9
4.3
4.7