§ 4858. Medium farm operation permits
(a) Authorization to operation. No person shall operate a medium farm without authorization from the Secretary pursuant
to this section. Under exceptional conditions, specified in subsection (d) of this
section, authorization from the Secretary may be required to operate a small farm.
(b) Rules; general and individual permits. The Secretary shall establish by rule, pursuant to 3 V.S.A. chapter 25, requirements for a general permit and individual permit to assure that medium and
small farms generating animal waste comply with the water quality standards of the
State.
(1) General and individual permits issued under this section shall be consistent with
rules adopted under this section, shall include terms and conditions appropriate to
each farm size category and each farm animal type as defined by section 4857 of this title, and shall meet standards at least as stringent as those established by federal regulations
for concentrated animal feeding operations. Such standards shall address waste management,
waste storage, development of nutrient management plans, carcass disposal, and surface
water and groundwater contamination, plus recordkeeping, reporting, and monitoring
provisions regarding such matters to ensure that the terms and conditions of the permit
are being met. The groundwater contamination rules adopted by the Secretary under
this section shall include a process under which the Agency shall receive, investigate,
and respond to a complaint that a farm has contaminated the drinking water or groundwater
of a property owner.
(2) The rules adopted under this section shall also address permit administration, public
notice and hearing, permit enforcement, permit transition, revocation, and appeals
consistent with provisions of sections 4859 and 4861 of this title and subchapter 10 of this chapter.
(3) Each general permit issued pursuant to this section shall have a term of not more
than five years. Prior to the expiration of each general permit, the Secretary shall
review the terms and conditions of the general permit and may issue subsequent general
permits with the same or different conditions as necessary to carry out the purposes
of this subchapter. Each general permit shall include provisions that require public
notice of the fact that a medium farm has sought coverage under a general permit adopted
pursuant to this section. Each general permit shall provide a process by which interested
persons can obtain detailed information about the nature and extent of the activity
proposed to receive coverage under the general permit. The Secretary may inspect each
farm seeking coverage under the general permit at any time but not less frequently
than once every three years.
(c) Medium farm general permit.
(1) The owner or operator of a medium farm seeking coverage under a general permit adopted
pursuant to this section shall certify to the Secretary within a period specified
in the permit, and in a manner specified by the Secretary, that the medium farm does
comply with permit requirements regarding an adequately sized and designed manure
management system to accommodate the wastes generated and a nutrient management plan
to dispose of wastes in accordance with Required Agricultural Practices adopted under
this chapter and current U.S. Department of Agriculture nutrient management standards.
Any certification or notice of intent to comply submitted under this subdivision shall
be kept on file at the Agency of Agriculture, Food and Markets. The Secretary of Agriculture,
Food and Markets, in consultation with the Secretary of Natural Resources, shall review
any certification or notice of intent to comply submitted under this subdivision with
regard to the water quality impacts of the medium farm for which the owner or operator
is seeking coverage, and, for farms that have never been permitted under the prior
permit term, within 18 months after receiving the certification or notice of intent
to comply, the Secretary of Natural Resources shall verify whether the owner or operator
of the medium farm has established that there will be no unpermitted discharge to
waters of the State pursuant to the federal regulations for concentrated animal feeding
operations. If upon review the Secretary of Agriculture, Food and Markets determines
that the medium farm may be discharging to waters of the State, the Secretary of Agriculture,
Food and Markets shall promptly notify the Secretary of Natural Resources in accordance
with the federal Clean Water Act regarding concentrated animal feeding operations.
The Secretary of Natural Resources shall direct a medium farm to obtain a permit under
10 V.S.A. § 1263 if required by federal regulations for concentrated animal feeding operations or
by the VPDES CAFO Rules. If the farm is not required to obtain a CAFO permit and is
not in violation of federal regulations for concentrated animal feeding operations,
the Secretary of the Agency of Natural Resources shall promptly notify the Secretary
of Agriculture, Food and Markets.
(2) The owner or operator of a small farm may seek coverage under the medium farm general
permit adopted pursuant to this section by certifying to the Secretary, in a manner
specified by the Secretary, that the small farm complies with the requirements and
conditions of the medium farm general permit.
(d) Medium and small farms; individual permit. The Secretary may require the owner or operator of a small or medium farm to obtain
an individual permit to operate after review of the farm’s history of compliance,
application of Required Agricultural Practices, the use of an experimental or alternative
technology or method to meet a State performance standard, or other factors set forth
by rule. The owner or operator of a small farm may apply to the Secretary for an individual
permit to operate under this section. To receive an individual permit, an applicant
shall in a manner prescribed by rule demonstrate that the farm has an adequately sized
and designed manure management system to accommodate the wastes generated and a nutrient
management plan to dispose of wastes in accordance with Required Agricultural Practices
adopted under this chapter and current U.S. Department of Agriculture nutrient management
standards, including setback requirements for waste application. An individual permit
shall be valid for not more than five years. Any application for an individual permit
filed under this subsection shall be kept on file at the Agency of Agriculture, Food
and Markets. The Secretary of Agriculture, Food and Markets, in consultation with
the Agency of Natural Resources, shall review any application for a permit under this
subsection. If, upon review of a permit application, the Secretary of Agriculture,
Food and Markets determines that the permit applicant may be discharging to waters
of the State, the Secretary of Agriculture, Food and Markets shall promptly refer
the farm to the Secretary of Natural Resources for response in accordance with the
federal Clean Water Act. The Secretary of Natural Resources shall direct a medium
or small farm to obtain a permit under 10 V.S.A. § 1263 if required by federal regulations for concentrated animal feeding operations or
by the VPDES CAFO Rules. Coverage of a medium farm under a general permit adopted
pursuant to this section or an individual permit issued to a medium or small farm
under this section is rendered void by the issuance of a permit to a farm under 10 V.S.A. § 1263. If the farm is not required to obtain a CAFO permit and is not in violation of federal
regulations for concentrated animal feeding operations, the Secretary of the Agency
of Natural Resources shall promptly refer the matter to the Secretary of Agriculture,
Food and Markets.
(e) Operating fee. A person required to obtain a permit or coverage under this section shall submit an
annual operating fee of $1,500.00 to the Secretary. The fees collected under this
section shall be deposited in the Agricultural Water Quality Special Fund under section 4803 of this title. (Added 2003, No. 149 (Adj. Sess.), § 8, eff. June 3, 2004; amended 2005, No. 78, § 11, eff. June 24, 2005; 2015, No. 39, § 14; 2015, No. 64, § 7; 2017, No. 113 (Adj. Sess.), § 37; 2021, No. 174 (Adj. Sess.), § 9, eff. July 1, 2022; 2025, No. 67, § 4, eff. July 1, 2025.)