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House debates S.124 to clarify state CAFO permitting after EPA directive
Summary
The Vermont House took up the second reading of S.124, a bill that would clarify that the Agency of Natural Resources is the lead state permitting authority for concentrated animal feeding operation discharges and would add CAFO-specific definitions, inspection duties and deadlines to comply with a directive from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
The Vermont House took up the second reading of S.124 on the floor, a bill titled “An act relating to miscellaneous agricultural subjects” that amends state law to address concentrated animal feeding operation permitting and agricultural water quality.
The measure, discussed by the House Agriculture, Food Resiliency, and Forestry Committee and the House Environment Committee, responds to a September notice from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency that the Agency of Natural Resources (ANR) must begin issuing CAFO permits to comply with the federal Clean Water Act or risk loss of the state's delegated permitting authority. Representative Ben Durfee of Shaftsbury, speaking for the agriculture committee, described the bill as largely intended to bring Vermont into compliance with federal requirements.
S.124 clarifies that ANR is the lead permitting authority for discharges from CAFOs and preserves the Agency of Agriculture, Food and Markets’ (AAFM) role over nonpoint-source agricultural runoff from fields. The bill…
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