Roelof Heinen, president of the Alberta Association of Municipal Districts and Counties, says that municialities should define well the manure management and the required ventilation of the farm building, also understand well the issues and cover all the concerns around land uses in their areas. Establishing the rules well help the developpers decide if their project will be economically viable respecting thoses rules and their proejct will be done right from the start.
One of the first Municipal District, the Municipal District of Kneehill, in Three Hills Alta, sat down their development rules considering the provincial code of practice and the expertise it gave it. Alex Cunningham from the MD recommands environmental sensitivity analysis for all new or expansion projects. MD also fixed requirements regarding separation distances and the type of production for hog, the building has to be at least 457m from the nearest residence not occupied by the owner of a farm employee. Minimum distances have to be respected for manure spreading unless another arrangement is done in a written agreement obtained from the adjacent landowner. Drainage plans for the farm have to be done by professional engineers and the swine building can’t be located in a flood-prone area. To make sure that the code is respected, an inspection done by the agriculture and environment department has to be done one year after the start of the operations.

The need for well defined rules is obvious for the farmers and also the MD. Bases are known for projects evaluation and also operations follow up, so both parties can make their decisions. Using a provincial code makes the rules even more clear on what considerations were taken when the legislation was passed. The opponents know the rules in their area and cannot easily lobby for very restraining bylaws.