On-site farm inspections by agencies like the County, DNR, MPCA or EPA can happen at any time, especially close to your permit renewal date. A little preparation can help that surprise inspection at your farm go much smoother.
This article from Manure Manager Magazine gives some good recommendations: on questions to ask your inspector, information that may (or may not) be available to them, and some other points to help you before, during, and after any inspection.
Even if you’ve never worked with Williams Engineering Services or we’ve never visited your farm before, Williams Engineering Services can help your facility work through inspection and compliance at any stage in the process. It’s a small world and you might be amazed by what we already know about your farm.
We do recommend having an engineering consultant on-site during the farm’s on-site compliance inspection, whenever possible, in order to:
- Demonstrate your ability to provide both an immediate and follow-up response to items presented by the inspector,
- Illustrate your commitment to the quality of your farm and how it is presented, and
- Show that you take the inspection of your farm very seriously.
Having an experienced consultant on-site during the inspection can help you better react to inspector questions and address concerns before they become a written violation. Having an engineer at your side can also keep the inspector accountable so that the discussed topics and issues are limited to only those items that are relevant and enforceable. The last thing a farmer wants are inspection notes with incorrect information (or even false allegations about the farm) written into a violation letter that becomes public information.
Our professional staff at Williams Engineering Services have experience being inspectors. We have reviewed hundreds of facilities in Minnesota and Wisconsin, and are familiar with the current rules and regulations. We have years of experience working with and being those government officials at all levels and can help you better understand how to navigate governmental policies.
At Williams Engineering Services, we will do our best to work with you at any time day or night, including inspection time, on the farm. Give us a call today at 715-829-3231 and we’d be happy to help you start preparing for your next inspection (or reacting to the letter if that is where you are).
~ Kelly Jacobs, Senior Environmental Scientist
