HF 512 – Confinement Feeding Operations
FLOOR ACTION:
HF 512 would allow a producer that wants to continue using a building that has been approved for a higher animal capacity to take a “time-out” without ceasing all production and then be able to bring the full building usage back on at a designated point in time. The bill would make changes to the calculation of the animal units for the purpose of compliance fees and filing of manure management plan updates by allowing the mothballing of facilities and not counting unused capacity in both fee and manure management calculations. Current Code requires the facilities to be razed and to be considered abandoned to eliminate the fees and management plans. For many producers, the destruction of a building is counterproductive. The bill would allow a producer to be exempt from a manure management plan update and the fees associated as long as the producer re-classifies on a new approved formula in an election period approved by the Department of Natural Resources (DNR). The DNR would be allowed to impose civil penalties not to exceed $10,000, while the Attorney General can apply a penalty of no more than $5,000. An amendment adopted in committee:
• Limits the bill to confinement operations that are close to the small animal feeding operation (500 animal units) threshold and who want relief from manure management plan and annual compliance fee requirements.
• Does not change the “election to be a small animal feeding operation” option and process as set forth in the bill.
• Limits the change in manner of calculating animal unit capacity to operations that elect to become a small animal feeding operation. [5/1: 43-6 (Bolkcom, Dearden, Jochum, Petersen, Quirmbach “no”; Hatch excused)]