SB 879

This bill allows Green County to enact and enforce an ordinance that regulates

the land application of manure in all or parts of the county where the bedrock lies

within 20 feet of the land's surface. The bill requires such an ordinance to be identical

to any rule promulgated by the Department of Natural Resources that regulates

manure application in areas with Silurian bedrock, except that the ordinance may

apply regardless of whether Silurian bedrock is present. The bill exempts such an

ordinance from the requirement under current law that DNR or DATCP determine,

before a municipality enacts a local ordinance that regulates livestock operations

and that exceeds the nonpoint performance standards for agricultural facilities set

by DNR, that the ordinance is necessary to achieve water quality standards. Under

current law, an agricultural facility in existence before October 14, 1997, is exempt

from the nonpoint performance standards for agricultural facilities set by DNR

unless cost-sharing is available to the owner or operator of the facility. This bill

provides the same exemption to an ordinance enacted by Green County under the

provisions of the bill.

The bill also requires DNR to include, in any Wisconsin Pollutant Discharge

Elimination System (WPDES) permit issued to a permittee to which the ordinance

applies, a requirement that the permittee comply with the ordinance as a condition

of the WPDES permit.