Committee reviews S.124 changes on winter manure ban, emergency exemptions and CAFO permitting

Montpelier — Lawmakers on the House committee overseeing agriculture on Oct. 11 heard agency officials describe S.124 as a technical fix that would put a decades‑old emergency exemption for winter manure spreading into statute, clarify which waters and permits trigger Agency of Natural Resources oversight, and change the certified small‑farm filing from an annual form to a one‑time certification.

The measure matters because it affects when farms may spread manure in winter, which state and federal permits apply, and how the state tracks and enforces compliance under the Required Agricultural Practices.

Steve Collier, from the Vermont Agency of Agriculture, said the bill does not change practice but would remove a drafting anomaly that made it appear the seasonal exemption — created by the legislature in 2013 — was the only exception to the winter‑spreading prohibition. "We're not trying to change anything that's been in place for at least 30 years," Collier said. "We just want to be clear that we have the authority as necessary in an emergency to grant an exemption." He cited examples such as an overtopping manure pit or extreme flooding in 2023 when farmers asked the agencies for flexibility.

Collier told the committee that Vermont's winter spreading ban and the corresponding emergency exemption…