LD 1064
pg. 1
LD 1064 Title Page An Act To Clarify the Laws Governing Agricultural Composting Operations Page 2 of 3
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LR 455
Item 1

 
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows:

 
Sec. 1. 17 MRSA §2805, sub-§1, as amended by PL 1999, c. 723, §2, is
further amended to read:

 
1. Definition. As used in this section, unless the context
otherwise indicates, the following terms have the following
meanings.

 
A. "Farm" means the land, buildings and machinery used in
the commercial production of farm products.

 
B. "Farm operation" means a condition or activity that
occurs on a farm in connection with the commercial
production of farm products and includes, but is not limited
to, operations giving rise to noise, odors, dust, insects,
and fumes,; operation of machinery and irrigation pumps,;
ground and aerial seeding,; ground spraying, composting of
material produced by the farm or to be used at least in part
on the farm, agricultural composting operations; disposal of
manure,; the application of chemical fertilizers, soil
amendments, conditioners and pesticides; and the employment
and use of labor.

 
C. "Farm product" means those plants and animals useful to
humans and includes, but is not limited to forages and sod
crops, grains and food crops, dairy products, poultry and
poultry products, bees, livestock and livestock products and
fruits, berries, vegetables, flowers, seeds, grasses and
other similar products.

 
D. "Agricultural composting" means the controlled
decomposition of organic materials to produce a product
beneficial to plant growth and suitable for agronomic use.__
"Agricultural composting" is limited to operations that
produce compost with materials generated on a farm as a
primary ingredient and operations that produce compost on a
farm for use on that farm. "Agricultural composting" does
not include operations that use municipal solid waste,
municipal sludge, septage or pulp and paper mill sludge.

 
Sec. 2. 26 MRSA §1043, sub-§1, ķA, as amended by PL 1979, c. 515, §1-
A, is further amended to read:

 
A. On and after January 1, 1978, "agricultural labor"
includes any service performed:

 
(1) On a farm, in the employ of any person, in connection
with cultivating the soil or in connection with raising or
harvesting any agricultural,


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