Design and management of livestock production facilities have a major impact on the intensity and quality of odor released. With mounting pressures for a clean environment, desire for freedom from imposition of neighbours’ influence, and a trend to confinement livestock production, odor control technology has become an increasingly important need. This need is reflected by the frequency of odor-based complaints to air pollution control agencies and individual producers, with extreme cases leading to law suits and court action.

Livestock production odors, like other nontoxic odor emissions, are generally regarded as nuisance pollutants. These odors are not regulated by federal action under the Clean Air Act. However, they have become the subject of an increasing number of state and local regulations and ordinances. Such laws may specifically control odors in several ways:

1. By definition of acceptable intensity limitations
2. Durations and frequencies constituting an nuisance at property line
3. By restricting size, design, or location of livestock production enterprises

The latter aproach is generally part of an overall land use plan and may not be recognized as a specific odor regulation.