Senate advances bill to fund grants helping farms comply with EPA animal‑feeding permits

Senate Bill 66, presented by Senator Blackham, would authorize the Department of Agriculture to make grants to help animal‑feeding operations develop or implement plans required by forthcoming EPA permitting. Sponsors said the measure is intended to protect watersheds through technical assistance rather than punitive enforcement and to reduce the economic shock to agricultural producers.

Senator Blackham explained that the bill grew from a two‑year cooperative effort among agricultural stakeholders, the Farm Bureau, Utah State Extension and conservation districts. “What the bill does is allows the Department of Agriculture to make some grants to help develop these plans or to actually implement the plan if if needed and if appropriate,” he said on the floor.

Senators asked about the number of potential applicants, program scope and the fiscal note. The sponsor said inventories in several valleys already show hundreds of animal‑feeding operations and that typical planning costs (engineer fees, etc.) can be substantial. He said the fiscal note initially was modest (about a half‑million in the transcript) and that the Department would be selective in awarding funds.

Supporters likened the approach to watershed‑protection programs elsewhere that subsidized improved agricultural practices rather than relying only on land acquisition. Opponents and cautious colleagues sought assurances about the fiscal scope and the program’s ability to avoid undue strain on smaller operators.

The Senate passed SB 66 to the third reading calendar with a floor tally shown as 25 ayes, 1 nay, 3 absent.