The Economic Impact of Setback Requirements on Land Application of Manure

To improve air quality near large swine production sites and manure application fields, Kentucky has legislated setback requirements. Unlike other states, however, Kentucky requires swine producers to control all acreage in the setback. Furthermore, the setback length for surface application, an odorous option, is longer than that for incorporation. This paper evaluates how much longer the setback length for surface application must be to encourage soil incorporation of swine manure. Results indicate that Kentucky's setback lengths do not encourage odor control via incorporation;t he setback length for surface application must be substantially longer than that for incorporation