Bill > S0124

This bill updates Vermont's agricultural water quality regulations, focusing primarily on Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations (CAFOs) and their environmental oversight. It establishes a comprehensive framework for defining and regulating agricultural animal feeding operations, clarifying the roles of the Agency of Natural Resources and the Agency of Agriculture, Food and Markets in managing water pollution from farms. The bill creates detailed definitions for different types of animal feeding operations, sets new requirements for farm permits, and mandates a stakeholder engagement process to develop a CAFO program that complies with the federal Clean Water Act. Key provisions include requiring farms to maintain nutrient management plans, establishing inspection protocols for animal feeding operations, and creating a process for farms to obtain CAFO permits. The legislation also freezes the interpretation of federal Clean Water Act references to their January 1, 2025 version until April 1, 2029, providing stability and predictability for farmers during the regulatory transition. By December 2025, the Secretary of Natural Resources must coordinate with stakeholders to develop a comprehensive approach to agricultural water quality regulation, with a report due in February 2026 detailing recommendations for long-term regulatory structure and implementation.