House File 346 - Introduced
HOUSE FILE
BY SEXTON
A BILL FOR
1 An Act requiring the department of natural resources to include
2 additional water quality criteria in the master matrix
3 used to evaluate applications for permits to construct
4 confinement feeding operation structures.
5 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA:
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PAG LIN
1 1 Section 1. DEPARTMENT OF NATURAL RESOURCES == MASTER
1 2 MATRIX == ADDITIONAL WATER QUALITY CRITERIA. The department
1 3 of natural resources shall revise the master matrix as
1 4 published in 567 IAC ch. 65, Appendix C to include additional
1 5 criteria in the water subcategory. The additional criteria
1 6 shall include environmental practices used to reduce soil
1 7 erosion and sediment loss, manage nutrients and reduce
1 8 contributing contaminant loads to receiving surface waters,
1 9 and improve surface water quality. The new criteria shall
1 10 include edge=of=field soil and water conservation practices
1 11 or edge=of=field erosion control practices, and may include
1 12 bioreactors connected to field drainage tile lines, saturated
1 13 buffers, prairie grass strips located in drainage areas,
1 14 grassed waterways, areas devoted to permanent vegetation cover,
1 15 or wetlands.
1 16 EXPLANATION
1 17 The inclusion of this explanation does not constitute agreement with
1 18 the explanation's substance by the members of the general assembly.
1 19 BILL'S PROVISIONS. This bill requires the department of
1 20 natural resources to revise the master matrix used to evaluate
1 21 proposed confinement feeding operation structure sites by
1 22 including additional criteria in the water subcategory in
1 23 order to account for environmental practices used to reduce
1 24 soil erosion and sediment loss, manage nutrients and reduce
1 25 contributing contaminant loads to receiving surface waters, and
1 26 improve surface water quality.
1 27 BACKGROUND == GENERAL. The bill refers to provisions in
1 28 the Iowa administrative code that include the master matrix as
1 29 required in Code section 459.305 of the "Animal Agriculture
1 30 Compliance Act". A person constructing a confinement feeding
1 31 operation structure may first be required to obtain a permit
1 32 issued by the department (Code section 459.303). A confinement
1 33 feeding operation is a location in which agricultural animals
1 34 are confined and fed in totally roofed structures for 45
1 35 days or more in any 12=month period and includes associated
2 1 confinement feeding operation structures such as buildings,
2 2 manure storage structures, and egg washwater storage structures
2 3 (Code section 459.102). A permit is required if a confinement
2 4 feeding operation would have an animal unit capacity of
2 5 at least 1,000 animal units, which would equal 2,500 swine
2 6 weighing over 55 pounds (Code section 459.102), or if the
2 7 operation uses an unformed manure storage structure (Code
2 8 section 459.303).
2 9 BACKGROUND == MASTER MATRIX. The master matrix is a form
2 10 used as part of a process in which a person applying for a
2 11 construction permit is awarded points for agreeing to construct
2 12 the confinement feeding operation structure or use manure
2 13 management practices in a manner that exceeds specific state
2 14 law requirements (e.g., a statutory separation distance imposed
2 15 between the application of manure and a river or stream as
2 16 specified in Code section 459.314). The master matrix is
2 17 comprised of three subcategories including impacts of the
2 18 confinement feeding operation on air, water, and the community.
2 19 A county board of supervisors that adopts a construction
2 20 evaluation resolution may evaluate the completed application
2 21 and matrix before submitting comments to the department
2 22 (Code section 459.304), which decides whether to approve or
2 23 disapprove the application and issue the permit (Code section
2 24 459.303).
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