Colorado § 25-7-138 - Housed commercial swine feeding operations - waste impoundments - odor emissions - fund created.

§ 25-7-138. Housed commercial swine feeding operations - waste impoundments - odor emissions - fund created.

(1) All new or expanded anaerobic process wastewater vessels and impoundments, including, but not limited to, treatment or storage lagoons, constructed or under construction for use in connection with a housed commercial swine feeding operation as defined in section 25-8-501.1 (2)(b) shall be covered, or operated with technologies or practices that are as effective as covers at minimizing odor from the operation, to capture, recover, incinerate, or otherwise manage odorous gases to minimize, to the greatest extent practicable, the emission of such gases into the atmosphere. The housed commercial swine feeding operation shall submit to the department of public health and environment information sufficient to demonstrate that the technologies and practices used are as effective as covers at minimizing odor from the operation. The housed commercial swine feeding operation shall manage odor emissions such that odor emissions from the operation shall not be detected at or beyond the property boundary after the odorous air has been diluted with seven volumes of odor-free air. The housed commercial swine feeding operation shall manage odor emissions such that odor emissions from the operation shall not be detected at any off-site receptor after the odorous air has been diluted with two volumes of odor-free air. For purposes of this section, "receptor" means any occupied dwelling used as a primary dwelling or its curtilage, a public or private school, or a place of business. As used in this section, "anaerobic" means a waste treatment method that, in whole or in part, does not utilize air or oxygen. All new aerobic impoundments shall employ technologies to ensure maintenance of aerobic conditions or otherwise to minimize the emission of odorous gases to the greatest extent practicable. As used in this section, "aerobic" means a waste treatment method that utilizes air or oxygen.

(2) All existing anaerobic process wastewater vessels and impoundments, including, but not limited to, aeration tanks and treatment or storage lagoons, owned or operated for use in connection with a housed commercial swine feeding operation as defined in section 25-8-501.1 (2)(b) shall be covered, or operated with technologies or practices that are as effective as covers at minimizing odor from the operation, to capture, recover, incinerate, or otherwise manage odorous gases to minimize, to the greatest extent practicable, the emission of such gases into the atmosphere. The housed commercial swine feeding operation shall submit to the department of public health and environment information sufficient to demonstrate that the technologies and practices used are as effective as covers at minimizing odor from the operation. The housed commercial swine feeding operation shall manage odor emissions such that odor emissions from the operation shall not be detected at or beyond the property boundary after the odorous air has been diluted with seven volumes of odor-free air. The housed commercial swine feeding operation shall manage odor emissions such that odor emissions from the operation shall not be detected at any off-site receptor after the odorous air has been diluted with two volumes of odor-free air. For purposes of this section, "receptor" means any occupied dwelling used as a primary dwelling or its curtilage, a public or private school, or a place of business. All existing aerobic impoundments shall employ technologies to ensure maintenance of aerobic conditions or otherwise to minimize the emission of odorous gases to the greatest extent practicable.

(3) The commission shall, by rules promulgated on or before March 1, 1999, require that all housed commercial swine feeding operations employ technology to minimize to the greatest extent practicable off-site odor emissions from all aspects of its operations, including odor from its swine confinement structures, manure and composting storage sites, and odor and aerosol drift from land application equipment and sites.

(4) No new land waste application site or new waste impoundment used in connection with a housed commercial swine feeding operation, shall be located less than:

(a) One mile from an occupied dwelling without the written consent of the owner of the dwelling;

(b) One mile from a public or private school without the written consent of the school's board of trustees or board of directors; and

(c) One mile from the boundaries of any incorporated municipality without the consent of the governing body of the municipality by resolution. As used in this subsection (4), a new land waste application site and new waste impoundment are those that were not in use as of June 1, 1998.

(5) The division shall enforce the provisions of this section. The division may delegate enforcement of the provisions of this section to any county or district public health agency. If the division delegates enforcement of this section, the division shall monitor the actions of any county or district public health agency as such actions pertain to enforcement of this section. The division shall assess a housed commercial swine feeding operation an annual fee, not to exceed seven cents per animal, based on the operation's working capacity, to offset the division's direct and indirect costs of enforcement, compliance, and regulation pursuant to this section. This fee shall be designated to fund an inspection and complaint response and enforcement program. By mutual agreement, any county or district public health agency that assists in enforcement of this section shall receive funding to conduct inspections and respond to complaints. As used in this subsection (5), "working capacity" means the number of swine the housed commercial swine feeding operation is capable of housing at any one time. In addition, any person who may be adversely affected by a housed commercial swine feeding operation may enforce these provisions directly against the operation by filing a civil action in the district court in the county in which the person resides.

(6) All moneys collected pursuant to this section shall be transmitted to the state treasurer, who shall credit the same to the housed commercial swine feeding operation fund, which fund is hereby created in the state treasury. The moneys in such fund shall be subject to annual appropriation by the general assembly for the purposes of this section, including the reimbursement of county or district public health agencies for assistance in the enforcement of this section. Any interest earned on moneys in the fund shall remain in the fund and shall not revert to the general fund at the end of any fiscal year.

Source: Initiated 98: Entire section added, effective upon proclamation of the Governor, December 30, 1998. L. 2005: (2) and (3) amended, p. 282, § 20, effective August 8. L. 2006: (1), (2), and (5) amended and (6) added, p. 1105, § 1, effective May 25. L. 2010: (5) and (6) amended, (HB 10-1422), ch. 419, p. 2103, § 118, effective August 11.

Editor's note: (1) This section was contained in an initiated measure that was adopted by the people at the general election held November 3, 1998. The measure enacting this section was effective upon proclamation of the Governor, December 30, 1998.

(2) The vote count on the measure at the general election held November 3, 1998, was as follows:

FOR: 790,852

AGAINST: 438,873

ANNOTATION

Law reviews. For article, "Colorado's Not-So-Little Pig Farms Meet the Big Bad Wolf", see 28 Colo. Law. 85 (June 1999).