Amend the resolve in section 1 in the 4th line (page 1, line 4 in L.D.) by striking out the following: "100 cubic yards" and inserting the following: '60 cubic yards as long as the facility is operated in accordance with a compost management plan approved by the Department of Agriculture, Food and Rural Resources'
Amend the resolve in section 1 in the last line (page 1, line 6 in L.D.) by striking out the following: "2-A." and inserting the following: '2-A; and be it further'
Amend the resolve by inserting after section 1 the following:
‘Sec.
2. Department of Agriculture, Food and Rural Resources and Department of Environmental Protection to examine operations requiring a compost management plan. Resolved: That the Department of Agriculture, Food and Rural Resources and the Department of Environmental Protection, referred to in this section as "the departments," shall review agricultural composting operations that are exempt from licensing as a solid waste facility under the Department of Environmental Protection Rules, Chapter 410, Section 1, Paragraph B, Subparagraphs (4), (5), (6) and (7).
The departments shall report to the Joint Standing Committee on Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry and the Joint Standing Committee on Environment and Natural Resources no later than January 3, 2012 with recommendations for statutory changes needed to clarify or enhance oversight of agricultural composting operations by the Department of Agriculture, Food and Rural Resources. For the purposes of this section, "agricultural composting operations" means composting that takes place on farms and uses only animal manure, animal carcasses and offal, fish waste, leaves, wood chips, animal bedding and other vegetative waste and produce and other vegetable and food waste.
The Joint Standing Committee on Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry and the Joint Standing Committee on Environment and Natural Resources may report out a bill during the Second Regular Session of the 125th Legislature pertaining to oversight of agricultural composting operations.’
summary
This amendment is the minority report of the Joint Standing Committee on Environment and Natural Resources and the Joint Standing Committee on Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry. It requires the Department of Environmental Protection to amend its rules to increase the maximum cubic yards of Type IB and Type IC residuals that a farm may compost in any 30-day period to 60 cubic yards instead of 100 cubic yards as proposed in the resolve.
It directs the Department of Agriculture, Food and Rural Resources and the Department of Environmental Protection to review exemptions from licensing that are contingent on operating in accordance with a compost management plan approved by the Department of Agriculture, Food and Rural Resources. The 2 departments are directed to report to the Joint Standing Committee on Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry and the Joint Standing Committee on Environment and Natural Resources no later than January 3, 2012 with recommendations for any statutory changes needed to clarify or enhance oversight of agricultural composting operations by the Department of Agriculture, Food and Rural Resources. It authorizes the 2 legislative committees to report out a bill in the Second Regular Session of the 125th Legislature.