Michigan House panel hears competing views on bills to ease rules for anaerobic digesters

The Michigan House Agriculture Committee on [date not specified] heard extended testimony on House Bills 4257 and 4265, proposals from Representative Andrews that would reclassify regulation of anaerobic digesters and the material they produce and create new permitting and reporting requirements for those facilities.

Representative Andrews, sponsor of the bills, told the committee the measures are intended to give the industry regulatory certainty and to treat digestate as a material managed under agricultural rules rather than as wastewater regulated by EGLE (the Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy). Andrews said the bills would limit allowable feedstock to listed organic materials, require quarterly testing with five‑year record retention, establish approved training for operators within one year of opening, exempt small operations that accept less than 20% off‑site feedstock from additional permitting, and set a statutory review deadline for EGLE to approve or deny permits within 180 days with automatic approval if that deadline is missed. “It’s climate positive. It’s good economics for farms. So it’s win win win win win,” Andrews said.

Why it matters

Supporters said the bills would reduce permitting delays that have discouraged investment in renewable natural gas (RNG) and codigester projects, create farm revenue streams, and advance renewable energy goals. Opponents said the bills would effectively deregulate hazardous waste streams and could conflict with state and federal water protections, risking contamination of soil and water and increasing fugitive methane emissions.

What proponents told the committee

- Michael Imo, senior director of…