Bill Text: IA HF2354 | 2023-2024 | 90th General Assembly | Introduced


Bill Title: A bill for an act relating to water quality, including by providing for the permitting and monitoring of animal feeding operations, providing penalties, and making penalties applicable.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 11-0)

Status: (Introduced) 2024-02-07 - Introduced, referred to Agriculture. H.J. 211. [HF2354 Detail]

Download: Iowa-2023-HF2354-Introduced.html
House File 2354 - Introduced HOUSE FILE 2354 BY STAED , KURTH , AMOS JR. , BROWN-POWERS , LEVIN , TUREK , STECKMAN , WILBURN , CROKEN , KRESSIG , and JACOBY A BILL FOR An Act relating to water quality, including by providing for 1 the permitting and monitoring of animal feeding operations, 2 providing penalties, and making penalties applicable. 3 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA: 4 TLSB 5139YH (4) 90 da/ns
H.F. 2354 Section 1. Section 455B.173, subsection 2, Code 2024, is 1 amended to read as follows: 2 2. a. Establish, modify, or repeal water quality standards, 3 pretreatment standards, and effluent standards in accordance 4 with the provisions of this chapter . 5 a. b. The effluent standards may provide for maintaining 6 the existing quality of the water of the state that is a 7 navigable water of the United States under the federal Water 8 Pollution Control Act where the quality thereof exceeds the 9 requirements of the water quality standards. 10 b. c. If the federal environmental protection agency has 11 promulgated an effluent standard or pretreatment standard 12 pursuant to section 301 , 306 , or 307 of the federal Water 13 Pollution Control Act , a pretreatment or effluent standard 14 adopted pursuant to this section shall not be more stringent 15 than the federal effluent or pretreatment standard for such 16 source. This section may does not preclude the establishment 17 of a more restrictive effluent limitation in the permit 18 for a particular point source than the federal effluent or 19 pretreatment standard for such source if the more restrictive 20 effluent limitation is necessary to meet water quality 21 standards, or the establishment of an effluent standard for a 22 source or class of sources for which the federal environmental 23 protection agency has not promulgated standards pursuant to 24 section 301, 306, or 307 of the federal Water Pollution Control 25 Act. Except as required by federal law or regulation, the 26 commission shall not adopt an effluent standard more stringent 27 with respect to any pollutant than is necessary to reduce the 28 concentration of that pollutant in the effluent to the level 29 due to natural causes, including the mineral and chemical 30 characteristics of the land, existing in the water of the state 31 to which the effluent is discharged. Notwithstanding any other 32 provision of this part 1 of subchapter III or chapter 459, 33 subchapter III , any new source, the construction of which was 34 commenced after October 18, 1972, and which was constructed 35 -1- LSB 5139YH (4) 90 da/ns 1/ 10
H.F. 2354 as to meet all applicable standards of performance for the 1 new source or any more stringent effluent limitation required 2 to meet water quality standards, shall not be subject to any 3 more stringent effluent limitations during a ten-year period 4 beginning on the date of completion of construction or during 5 the period of depreciation or amortization of the pollution 6 control equipment for the facility for the purposes of section 7 167 or 169 or both sections of the Internal Revenue Code, 8 whichever period ends first. 9 Sec. 2. Section 459.102, subsection 9, Code 2024, is amended 10 to read as follows: 11 9. “Animal weight capacity” means the product of multiplying 12 the maximum number of animals which the owner or operator 13 confines in an animal feeding operation at any one time by the 14 average weight during a production cycle. 15 Sec. 3. Section 459.102, Code 2024, is amended by adding the 16 following new subsections: 17 NEW SUBSECTION . 14A. “Concentrated animal feeding operation” 18 means the same as defined in 40 C.F.R. §122.23. 19 NEW SUBSECTION . 28A. “Effluent” means a water-carried 20 pollutant, including but not limited to manure, litter, and 21 process wastewater. 22 NEW SUBSECTION . 30A. “Federal Water Pollution Control Act” 23 means the federal Water Pollution Control Act of 1972, 33 24 U.S.C. ch. 26, as amended, and 40 C.F.R. pts. 122 and 412. 25 NEW SUBSECTION . 35A. “Large concentrated animal feeding 26 operation” means the same as defined in 40 C.F.R. §122.23(b)(4). 27 NEW SUBSECTION . 41A. “Medium concentrated animal feeding 28 operation” means an animal feeding operation that meets the size 29 threshold for medium concentrated animal feeding operation in 30 40 C.F.R. §122.23(b)(6)(i). 31 NEW SUBSECTION . 41B. “NPDES permit” means a permit issued 32 by the department in administering the NPDES permit program. 33 NEW SUBSECTION . 41C. “NPDES permit program” means the 34 national pollutant discharge elimination system (NPDES) permit 35 -2- LSB 5139YH (4) 90 da/ns 2/ 10
H.F. 2354 program pursuant to the federal Water Pollution Control Act. 1 NEW SUBSECTION . 42A. “Owner” includes a person who owns or 2 operates an animal feeding operation. 3 NEW SUBSECTION . 52A. “Small concentrated animal feeding 4 operation” means the same as defined in 40 C.F.R. §122.23. 5 Sec. 4. Section 459.103, Code 2024, is amended to read as 6 follows: 7 459.103 General authority —— commission and department. 8 1. The commission shall establish by rule adopted pursuant 9 to chapter 17A , requirements relating to the construction, 10 including expansion, or operation of animal feeding operations, 11 including related animal feeding operation structures. The 12 requirements shall include but are not limited to minimum 13 manure control, the issuance of construction permits, and 14 departmental investigations, inspections, and testing. The 15 commission shall establish by rule adopted pursuant to chapter 16 17A requirements relating to the storage, treatment, and 17 application of manure and other effluent originating from 18 animal feeding operations. 19 2. Any provision referring generally to compliance with 20 the requirements of this chapter as applied to animal feeding 21 operations also includes compliance with requirements in 22 rules adopted by the commission pursuant to this section , 23 orders issued by the department as authorized under this 24 chapter , and the terms and conditions applicable to licenses, 25 certifications, construction permits, or manure management 26 plans required under subchapter III . However, for purposes of 27 approving or disapproving an application for a construction 28 permit as provided in section 459.304 , conditions for the 29 approval of an application based on results produced by a 30 master matrix are not requirements of this chapter until the 31 department approves or disapproves an application based on 32 those results. 33 Sec. 5. Section 459.301, Code 2024, is amended by adding the 34 following new subsection: 35 -3- LSB 5139YH (4) 90 da/ns 3/ 10
H.F. 2354 NEW SUBSECTION . 4A. For purposes of determining compliance 1 with the rules adopted by the commission to implement and 2 administer the NPDES permit program, the department shall count 3 all animals according to type as used to determine whether an 4 animal feeding operation is a small concentrated animal feeding 5 operation, medium concentrated animal feeding operation, or 6 large concentrated animal feeding operation. 7 Sec. 6. NEW SECTION . 459.301A Federal law —— NPDES permit 8 program. 9 1. This subchapter establishes minimum requirements for 10 managing animal feeding operations to protect water quality. 11 The commission shall establish by rule adopted pursuant to 12 chapter 17A requirements relating to the implementation and 13 administration of the NPDES permit program, including the 14 issuance of NPDES permits in accordance with the requirements 15 of this subchapter and the federal Water Pollution Control Act. 16 2. The commission shall establish by rule adopted pursuant 17 to chapter 17A permitting requirements under the NPDES permit 18 program for medium concentrated animal feeding operations and 19 large concentrated animal feeding operations. At minimum, the 20 rules shall require that medium concentrated animal feeding 21 operations and large concentrated animal feeding operations are 22 subject to an NPDES permit. 23 3. a. NPDES permit conditions issued by the department 24 under this chapter applying to a medium concentrated animal 25 feeding operation under this section may exceed any applicable 26 federal standard applying to that medium concentrated animal 27 feeding operation, including under the federal Water Pollution 28 Control Act. 29 b. NPDES permit conditions issued by the department under 30 this chapter applying to a large concentrated animal feeding 31 operation under this section may exceed any applicable federal 32 standard applying to that large concentrated animal feeding 33 operation, including under the federal Water Pollution Control 34 Act. 35 -4- LSB 5139YH (4) 90 da/ns 4/ 10
H.F. 2354 4. NPDES permits developed by the department in accordance 1 with this chapter applying to a medium concentrated animal 2 feeding operation or a large concentrated animal feeding 3 operation must include conditions requiring that the owner or 4 operator of such concentrated animal feeding operation do all 5 of the following: 6 a. Conduct representative effluent monitoring, including 7 monitoring for pollutants discharged to waters of the state 8 through groundwater. 9 b. Report data collected from monitoring for pollutants 10 described in paragraph “a” to the department each ninety days. 11 The department shall publish the data on its internet site, and 12 regularly report such data to the United States environmental 13 protection agency office of enforcement compliance assurance, 14 to be part of its integrated compliance information system. 15 Sec. 7. Section 459.311, Code 2024, is amended to read as 16 follows: 17 459.311 Minimum requirements for manure control. 18 1. a. A confinement feeding operation shall retain all 19 manure produced by the operation between periods of manure 20 disposal. 21 b. For purposes of this section , dry manure may be retained 22 by stockpiling as provided in this subchapter . 23 c. A confinement feeding operation shall not discharge 24 manure directly into water of the state or into a tile line 25 that discharges directly into water of the state. 26 2. Notwithstanding subsection 1 , a A confinement feeding 27 operation that is a concentrated animal feeding operation as 28 defined in 40 C.F.R. §122.23(b) shall comply with applicable 29 rules adopted by the commission to implement and administer the 30 national pollutant discharge elimination system permit program 31 requirements as provided in the federal Water Pollution Control 32 Act , 33 U.S.C. ch. 26, as amended , and 40 C.F.R. pts. 122 and 33 412 , pursuant to rules that shall be adopted by the commission. 34 Any rules adopted pursuant to this subsection shall be no more 35 -5- LSB 5139YH (4) 90 da/ns 5/ 10
H.F. 2354 stringent than requirements under the federal Water Pollution 1 Control Act , 33 U.S.C. ch. 26, as amended , and 40 C.F.R. pts. 2 122 and 412 section 459.301A . The commission shall adopt 3 separate requirements for confinement feeding operations, 4 open feedlot operations, and animal truck wash facilities as 5 provided in chapter 459A. 6 3. Manure from an animal feeding operation shall be 7 disposed of in a manner which will that does not cause surface 8 water or groundwater pollution. Disposal in accordance with 9 the provisions of state law, including this chapter , rules 10 adopted pursuant to the provisions of state law, including 11 this chapter , guidelines adopted pursuant to this chapter , 12 and section 459.314 , shall be deemed as compliance with this 13 requirement. 14 4. The department may require that the owner of a 15 confinement feeding operation shall install and operate a water 16 pollution monitoring system as part of an unformed manure 17 storage structure the confinement feeding operation . The 18 monitoring system shall collect and record data regarding the 19 type and quantity of pollutant originating from a confinement 20 feeding operation that is discharged to the groundwater or a 21 surface water source. The owner or operator of the confinement 22 feeding operation shall report the data to the department each 23 ninety days. The department shall publish the data on its 24 internet site, and regularly report such data to the United 25 States environmental protection agency office of enforcement 26 compliance assurance, to be part of its integrated compliance 27 information system. 28 5. The owner of the confinement feeding operation which 29 that discontinues the use of the operation shall remove all 30 manure from related confinement feeding operation structures 31 used to store manure, by a date specified in an order issued to 32 the operation by the department, or six months following the 33 date that the confinement feeding operation is discontinued, 34 whichever is earlier. 35 -6- LSB 5139YH (4) 90 da/ns 6/ 10
H.F. 2354 Sec. 8. Section 459A.102, subsections 11 and 24, Code 2024, 1 are amended to read as follows: 2 11. “Concentrated animal feeding operation” means the same as 3 defined in 40 C.F.R. §122.23 section 459.102 . 4 24. “NPDES permit” means a permit issued by the department 5 under the national pollutant discharge elimination system 6 pursuant to the federal Water Pollution Control Act of 1972 , 33 7 U.S.C. ch. 26, as amended , and 40 C.F.R. pts. 122 and 412 the 8 same as defined in section 459.102 . 9 Sec. 9. Section 459A.401, subsection 2, Code 2024, is 10 amended to read as follows: 11 2. Notwithstanding subsection 1 , an open feedlot operation 12 that is a concentrated animal feeding operation shall comply 13 with applicable rules adopted by the commission implementing 14 and administering the NPDES permit requirements program as 15 provided in the federal Water Pollution Control Act , pursuant 16 to rules that shall be adopted by the commission. Any rules 17 adopted pursuant to this subsection shall be no more stringent 18 than requirements under the federal Act section 459.301A . 19 Sec. 10. Section 459A.502, Code 2024, is amended to read as 20 follows: 21 459A.502 Violations —— civil penalty. 22 1. a. A Except as provided in paragraph “b” , a person 23 who violates this chapter shall be subject to a civil penalty 24 which shall be established, assessed, and collected in the same 25 manner as provided in section 455B.191 . 26 b. A person who violates a provision regulating an open 27 feedlot operation is subject to a civil penalty which shall 28 be established, assessed, and collected in the same manner as 29 provided in section 455B.109 or 455B.191. 30 2. Any collected civil penalty and interest on a civil 31 penalty collected under this section shall be credited to the 32 Iowa nutrient research fund created in section 466B.46 . 33 3. A person shall not be subject to a penalty under this 34 section and a penalty under section 459.603 for the same 35 -7- LSB 5139YH (4) 90 da/ns 7/ 10
H.F. 2354 violation. 1 EXPLANATION 2 The inclusion of this explanation does not constitute agreement with 3 the explanation’s substance by the members of the general assembly. 4 BACKGROUND —— STATE LAW. This bill amends provisions 5 regulating animal feeding operations (AFOs) in which 6 agricultural animals are confined and fed and maintained 7 for 45 days or more in any 12-month period, and includes 8 all structures used for the storage of manure from animals 9 in the operation and the discharge of manure or effluent 10 originating from the AFO (Code chapters 459 and 459A). The 11 regulations are administered and enforced by the department of 12 natural resources (DNR) including the environmental protection 13 commission (EPC). State law recognizes several types of 14 AFOs, including confinement feeding operations (CFOs) in 15 which animals are housed (confined) under roof (Code chapter 16 459). Special provisions govern open feedlots where animals 17 are kept in unroofed or partially roofed structures (Code 18 chapter 459A). In both cases, natural vegetation is not 19 available to the animals. In Iowa, a CFO is subject to both 20 air and water protection statutes and rules. Under water 21 quality regulations, the owner or operator of an AFO may be 22 required to obtain authorization from DNR to do business. The 23 authorization takes the form of a construction permit for 24 a CFO (Code section 459.304) or an open feedlot operation 25 (Code section 459A.205) or a manure management plan for a CFO 26 (Code section 459.312) or nutrient management plan for an open 27 feedlot operation (Code section 459A.208). The EPC may by 28 rule require the owner or operator of a CFO to install a water 29 pollution monitoring system as part of an unformed (dirt or 30 clay) manure storage structure (Code section 459.311). The 31 level of regulation sometimes depends upon a formula that 32 calculates the degree to which the AFO presents a threat to 33 water quality measured by: (1) the type of animals maintained 34 and (2) the number of animals maintained. For example, a 35 -8- LSB 5139YH (4) 90 da/ns 8/ 10
H.F. 2354 construction permit is required for a CFO that has an animal 1 unit capacity (AUC) of 1,000 animal units (AUs) (Code section 2 459.303) and each head of butcher or breeding swine weighing 3 more than 55 pounds is assigned a special equivalency factor of 4 0.4 animal units (Code section 459.102) (0.4 AU x 1,000 AUC = 5 400 head). 6 BACKGROUND —— FEDERAL LAW. AFOs are also regulated under 7 federal law by the environmental protection agency (EPA) that 8 administers and enforces the national pollutant discharge 9 elimination system (NPDES) program pursuant to the federal 10 Water Pollution Control Act of 1972 (33 U.S.C. ch. 26, as 11 amended, and 40 C.F.R. pts. 122 and 412). EPA contracts with 12 DNR to administer and enforce the NPDES program. Under the 13 NPDES program, AFOs are referred to as concentrated animal 14 feeding operations (CAFOs). A CAFO is classified by its own 15 formula that also factors the type and number of animals kept. 16 The regulations apply to large, medium, and small CAFOs. For 17 example, a small CAFO includes less than 750 head of swine 18 weighing 55 or more pounds, a medium CAFO includes between 750 19 and 2,499 head, and a large CAFO includes 2,500 or more head. 20 BACKGROUND —— STATE AND FEDERAL REGULATION. The purpose 21 of both state and federal regulation is to prevent manure or 22 effluent from contaminating groundwater and surface water. 23 In compliance with federal law, manure from a CAFO cannot be 24 disposed (discharged) in a manner that will cause surface 25 water or groundwater pollution (Code section 459.311). A CAFO 26 must retain all manure between periods of disposal (i.e., land 27 application). An open feedlot must install structures that 28 filter manure and effluent runoff (Code section 459A.401). 29 However, in all cases involving the treatment of wastewater, 30 and the discharge of manure and effluent originating from an 31 AFO, rules adopted by the EPC can be no more stringent than 32 federal law (Code sections 455B.173, 459.311, and 459A.401). 33 BILL’S PROVISIONS. The bill eliminates the provision that 34 prevent EPC rules regulating wastewater, or manure or effluent 35 -9- LSB 5139YH (4) 90 da/ns 9/ 10
H.F. 2354 originating from an AFO, from being more stringent than federal 1 law. The bill provides that statutes regulating AFOs are 2 minimum requirements, and that the EPC is to adopt permitting 3 requirements by rule under the NPDES program, including for 4 those AFOs classified as medium and large under federal law. 5 The EPC rules may exceed applicable federal standards applying 6 to a medium or large CAFO. In addition, the owner or operator 7 of a medium or large CAFO must conduct effluent monitoring 8 of pollutants discharged to navigable waters through the 9 groundwater. The owner or operator must report the collected 10 data to DNR which must publish it on its internet site and 11 report it to the EPA. 12 CIVIL PENALTIES. Compliance with a statutory regulation 13 includes compliance with a rule adopted by DNR (Code section 14 459.103). A person violating a water quality regulation under 15 Code chapter 459 is subject to the administrative assessment 16 of a civil penalty by DNR of not more than $10,000 or a 17 judicial assessment of a civil penalty of $5,000 (Code sections 18 455B.109, 455B.191 and 459.603). Currently, a person violating 19 a water quality regulation applying to an open feedlot is 20 subject to the judicially assessed civil penalty (Code section 21 459A.502). The bill also provides that the person is subject 22 to the administratively assessed civil penalty. 23 -10- LSB 5139YH (4) 90 da/ns 10/ 10
feedback