Agency reports small on‑farm composting sector under Act 41, few complaints and no violations found

At a legislative committee briefing, Agency of Agriculture staff summarized implementation of Act 41, the 2021 law that amended state definitions to allow limited on‑farm importation of food residuals for composting. Agency agricultural program manager Zach Shikowsky said the statute permits the importation of less than 2,000 cubic yards of food residuals or food processing residuals for compost production when the compost is principally produced or used on site or when the farm is a small poultry operation. "I oversee the Agricultural Residual Management Program," Shikowsky said during the presentation.

The agency worked with the Department of Environmental Conservation to identify sites that previously had been regulated under solid waste rules and performed site visits and investigations. Deputy Director Dave Huber said the agency issued letters of determination to operators who met the Act 41 definition rather than waiting for operators to request a determination. "We went ahead and issued them after doing site visits and…