HOUSE BILL No. 5712

February 16, 2006, Introduced by Reps. Booher, Baxter, Proos, Hansen, Pavlov, Emmons, Huizenga, Newell, Stahl, Garfield, Mortimer, Nitz, Casperson, Hune, Meyer and Vander Veen and referred to the Committee on Agriculture.

 

     A bill to amend 1994 PA 451, entitled

 

"Natural resources and environmental protection act,"

 

(MCL 324.101 to 324.90106) by adding sections 8601a and 8605.

 

THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF MICHIGAN ENACT:

 

     Sec. 8601a. As used in this part:

 

     (a) "Agricultural storm water discharge" means a

 

precipitation-related discharge from a farm or farm operation that,

 

at the time of discharge, is verified under the livestock system of

 

the MAEAP and managed in accordance with the comprehensive nutrient

 

management plan approved under that verification.

 

     (b) "Department" means the department of environmental

 


quality.

 

     (c) "Director" means the director of the department or his or

 

her designee to whom the director delegates a power or duty by

 

written instrument.

 

     (d) "Farm" means that term as defined in section 2 of the

 

Michigan right to farm act, 1981 PA 93, MCL 286.472.

 

     (e) "Farm operation" means that term as defined in section 2

 

of the Michigan right to farm act, 1981 PA 93, MCL 286.472.

 

     (f) "Generally accepted agricultural and management practices"

 

means that term as defined in section 2 of the Michigan right to

 

farm act, 1981 PA 93, MCL 286.472.

 

     (g) "Livestock production facility" means that term as defined

 

within the generally accepted agricultural and management practices

 

for site selection and odor controls at new and expanding animal

 

livestock facilities.

 

     (h) "Michigan agriculture environmental assurance program" or

 

"MAEAP" means a 3-phase program, as it existed on the effective

 

date of the amendatory act that added this subdivision, that meets

 

all of the following requirements:

 

     (i) Was recommended by the Michigan agriculture pollution

 

prevention implementation plan signed by the director and the

 

director of the department of agriculture in 1998.

 

     (ii) Consists of education, on-farm risk assessment, and third

 

party verification by the department of agriculture.

 

     (iii) Focuses on livestock, cropping, or farmstead systems.

 

     (iv) Is designed to help farms and farm operations voluntarily

 

prevent or minimize agricultural pollution risks.

 


     Sec. 8605. (1) The owner or operator of a livestock production

 

facility may submit to the department of agriculture a written

 

request that the livestock production facility be registered for

 

the purposes of subsection (4). Upon receipt of the request, the

 

department of agriculture shall notify the department and make the

 

request available to the public. Within 180 days after receipt of

 

the request by the department of agriculture, the department of

 

agriculture and the department shall determine whether the

 

livestock production facility is entitled to registration pursuant

 

to subsection (2) or (3), as applicable, and shall notify the owner

 

or operator of the determination. The department of agriculture

 

shall enter the livestock production facility on a registry if it

 

is entitled to registration. The department of agriculture shall

 

make the registry available to the public.

 

     (2) An existing or expanding livestock production facility is

 

entitled to registration under subsection (1) if the livestock

 

production facility meets both of the following requirements:

 

     (a) Is verified under and continues to be in compliance with

 

the livestock system of the Michigan agriculture environmental

 

assurance program.

 

     (b) Has not had a discharge of waste or waste effluent into

 

the waters of this state within the last 5 years, other than an

 

agricultural storm water discharge.

 

     (3) A new livestock production facility is entitled to

 

registration under subsection (1) if all of the following

 

requirements are met:

 

     (a) Before construction of the livestock production facility,

 


the owner or operator submits to the department of agriculture a

 

written notice of intent to submit a request for registration under

 

subsection (1).

 

     (b) Before populating the livestock production facility, the

 

owner or operator obtains from the department of agriculture a

 

determination of conformance with the generally accepted

 

agricultural and management practices for site selection and odor

 

controls at new and expanding animal livestock facilities.

 

     (c) Not less than 30 days before populating the livestock

 

production facility, the owner or operator submits to the

 

department of agriculture a written request for verification of the

 

livestock production facility under the livestock system of the

 

MAEAP.

 

     (4) Subject to subsection (5), a livestock production facility

 

registered under subsection (1) is not required to have a permit

 

under part 31.

 

     (5) If either of the following applies to a livestock

 

production facility registered under subsection (1), the department

 

of agriculture shall promptly remove the livestock production

 

facility from the registry:

 

     (a) The department has determined that the livestock

 

production facility has had a discharge of waste or waste effluent

 

into the waters of this state, other than an agricultural storm

 

water discharge, and has notified the department of agriculture of

 

the determination. The department shall consult with the department

 

of agriculture before making such a determination.

 

     (b) The farm or farm operation was registered pursuant to

 


subsection (3) and the farm or farm operation was not verified

 

under the livestock system of the MAEAP within 1 year of being

 

populated. The department of agriculture may provide an extension

 

of the 1-year deadline under this subdivision if the livestock

 

production facility shows progress toward verification.

 

     (6) Within 30 days after a livestock production facility is

 

removed from the registry, the owner or operator of the livestock

 

production facility shall apply for a permit under part 31.

 

     Enacting section 1. This amendatory act does not take effect

 

unless all of the following bills of the 93rd Legislature are

 

enacted into law:

 

     (a) Senate Bill No.____ or House Bill No. 5711(request no.

 

05471'05 *).

 

     (b) Senate Bill No.____ or House Bill No. 5713(request no.

 

05472'05).

 

     (c) Senate Bill No.____ or House Bill No. 5714(request no.

 

05473'05 *).

 

     (d) Senate Bill No.____ or House Bill No. 5715(request no.

 

05474'05 *).

 

     (e) Senate Bill No.____ or House Bill No. 5716(request no.

 

05814'06).