. Under them, substantially reconstructed, or substantially enlarged, stores that are brought into use after December 1st, 2003, are covered by the regulations.The Silage, Slurry and Agricultural Fuel Oil (SSAFO) Regulations were introduced on July 21st, 2003, and are designed to stop water pollution from agricultural.
They bring Northen Ireland in line with England, Wales and Scotland.
The SSAFRO Regulations can be accessed on the Office of Public Sector Information (OPSI) website. Under them, substantially reconstructed, or substantially enlarged, stores that are brought into use after December 1st, 2003, are covered by the regulations.
A summary of them can be found in the SSAFO Leaflet(.PDF 2.8Mb).
Background and guidance on their use can be found in the Guidance notes(.PDF 2.8Mb).
Farmers must notify us of any silo, slurry store or agricultural fuel oil store, constructed, or substantially enlarged on or afte July 21st 2003.
Farmers can notify the Department by writing to:
| SSAFO Agriculture Regulations Team 17 Antrim Road Lisburn BT28 3AL | Tel: 028 9262 3102 Fax: 028 9262 3011 |
The NIEA will then provide a SSAFO Notification form(.PDF 132Kb)form for notification purposes.
The base and walls of the slurry storage tank, any effluent tank, channels and reception pit as well as the walls of any pipes now have to be leak-proof. In addition, no part of the system can be put within 10 metres of a waterway.
All storage tanks now have to be fitted with two valves, in a series, with each valve capable of stopping the flow of slurry through the pipe.
The new regulations also introduced the idea of 'freeboard'. This is the minimum distance allowed between the top of the tank and the surface of the slurry in the tank.
This is to allow for rainfall, which could cause a tank to overflow if the tank was filled to the brim.
In the case of earth banked slurry stores, the minimum freeboard has to be 750 millimetres. In other cases, the freeboard has to be 300 millimetres.
Fuel oil storesNew, reconstructed or enlarged fuel oil stores are to be protected by a bund ( another enclosure, or tank, around the tank which will contain any spills or leaks) holding 110% of the volume of the tank.
The bund and the base of the storage area have to be leak proof and have to be designed and constructed so that with proper maintenance they will remain leak-proof for at least 20 years.
The regulations concerning fuel oil storage do not apply if the total amount of oil stored on the farm does not exceed 1250 litres.
SilosThe base of the silo, where the silo has retaining walls that are made from something other than earth, has to extend beyond the walls and be provided with waste collection channels. These channels must drain to a waste tank.
The base of the silo, the base and walls of its waste tank and channels, and the walls of any pipes have to be leak-proof.
The base and any walls of the silo, its waste tank and channels, and the walls of any pipes have to be resistant to silage waste and, where the walls are made of earth, have to be lined with a leak-proof lining.
The silo has to be designed and constructed so that with proper maintenance it is likely to last at least 20 years.
Baled silageBale silage should not be stored or opened within 10 metres of a waterway (including field drains).
This rule is designed to lessen the chances of acidic and highly polluting silage accidentally entering any nearby waterway in the case of a spill or rupture of any silage bales.
Loss of exemptionAll structures are exempt under the regulations if their construction was completed before the 1 December 2003.
A structure can cease to be exempt if:
If, on inspection by NIEA, existing or new stores pose a risk of water pollution we may require their repair or improvement: