North Carolina General Statutes 143-215.10I. Performance standards for animal waste management systems that serve swine farms; lagoon and sprayfield systems prohibited
(a) As used in this section:
(1) “Anaerobic lagoon” means a lagoon that treats waste by converting it into carbon dioxide, methane, ammonia, and other gaseous compounds; organic acids; and cell tissue through an anaerobic process.
Terms Used In North Carolina General Statutes 143-215.10I
- emission: means a release into the outdoor atmosphere of air contaminants. See North Carolina General Statutes 143-213
- following: when used by way of reference to any section of a statute, shall be construed to mean the section next preceding or next following that in which such reference is made; unless when some other section is expressly designated in such reference. See North Carolina General Statutes 12-3
- lagoon: includes a lagoon as defined in N. See North Carolina General Statutes 143-213
- standards: means such measure or measures of the quality of water and air as are established by the Commission pursuant to N. See North Carolina General Statutes 143-213
- state: when applied to the different parts of the United States, shall be construed to extend to and include the District of Columbia and the several territories, so called; and the words "United States" shall be construed to include the said district and territories and all dependencies. See North Carolina General Statutes 12-3
- Waste: shall mean and include the following:
(2) “Anaerobic process” means a biological treatment process that occurs in the absence of dissolved oxygen.
(3) “Lagoon” has the same meaning as in N.C. Gen. Stat. § 106-802
(4) “Swine farm” has the same meaning as in N.C. Gen. Stat. § 106-802
(b) The Commission shall not issue or modify a permit to authorize the construction, operation, or expansion of an animal waste management system that serves a swine farm that employs an anaerobic lagoon as the primary method of treatment and land application of waste by means of a sprayfield as the primary method of waste disposal unless:
(1) The permitting action does not result in an increase in the permitted capacity of the swine farm, as measured by the annual steady state live weight capacity of the swine farm; or
(2) The Commission determines that the animal waste management system will meet or exceed all of the following performance standards:
a. Eliminate the discharge of animal waste to surface water and groundwater through direct discharge, seepage, or runoff.
b. Substantially eliminate atmospheric emission of ammonia.
c. Substantially eliminate the emission of odor that is detectable beyond the boundaries of the parcel or tract of land on which the swine farm is located.
d. Substantially eliminate the release of disease-transmitting vectors and airborne pathogens.
e. Substantially eliminate nutrient and heavy metal contamination of soil and groundwater. (2007-523, s. 1(a); 2020-18, s. 11.)