Vermont Statutes Title 10 Sec. 6605j
Terms Used In Vermont Statutes Title 10 Sec. 6605j
- Compost: means a stable humus-like material produced by the controlled biological decomposition of organic matter through active management but shall not mean sewage, septage, or materials derived from sewage or septage. See
- Facility: means all contiguous land, structures, other appurtenances, and improvements on the land, used for treating, storing, or disposing of waste. See
- Person: means any individual; partnership; company; corporation; association; unincorporated association; joint venture; trust; municipality; the State of Vermont or any agency, department, or subdivision of the State; federal agency; or any other legal or commercial entity. See
- Secretary: means the Secretary of Natural Resources or his or her duly authorized representative. See
- Solid waste: means any discarded garbage; refuse; septage; sludge from a waste treatment plant, water supply plant, or pollution control facility; and other discarded material, including solid, liquid, semi-solid, or contained gaseous materials resulting from industrial, commercial, mining, or agricultural operations and from community activities but does not include animal manure and absorbent bedding used for soil enrichment; high carbon bulking agents used in composting; or solid or dissolved materials in industrial discharges that are point sources subject to permits under the Water Pollution Control Act, chapter 47 of this title. See
- State: when applied to the different parts of the United States may apply to the District of Columbia and any territory and the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico. See
- Storage: means the actual or intended containment of wastes, either on a temporary basis or for a period of years, in such a manner as not to constitute disposal of such wastes. See
- Village: shall mean an incorporated village. See
§ 6605j. Accepted composting practices
(a) The Secretary, in consultation with the Secretary of Agriculture, Food and Markets, shall adopt by rule, pursuant to 3 Vt. Stat. Ann. chapter 25, and shall implement and enforce accepted composting practices for the management of composting in the State. These accepted composting practices shall address:
(1) standards for the construction, alteration, or operation of a composting facility;
(2) standards for facility operation, including acceptable quantities of product or inputs, vector management, odors, noise, traffic, litter control, contaminant management, operator training and qualifications, recordkeeping, and reporting;
(3) standards for siting of composting facilities, including siting and operation of compost storage areas, compost bagging areas, and roads and parking areas;
(4) standards for the composting process, including rotation, management of compost piles, compost pile size, and monitoring of compost operations;
(5) standards for management of runoff from compost facilities, including liquids management from the feedstock area, active composting areas, curing area, and compost storage area; the use of swales or stormwater management around or within a compost facility; vegetative buffer requirements; and run-off management from tipping areas;
(6) specified areas of the State unsuitable for the siting of commercial composting that utilizes post-consumer food residuals or animal mortalities, such as designated downtowns, village centers, village growth areas, or areas of existing residential density; and
(7) definitions of “small-scale composting facility,” “medium-scale composting facility,” and “de minimis composting exempt from regulation.”
(b) A person operating a small scale composting facility who follows the accepted composting practices shall not be required to obtain a discharge permit under section 1263 or 1264 of this title, a solid waste facility certification under chapter 159 of this title, or an air emissions permit under chapter 23 of this title unless a permit is required by federal law or the Secretary of Natural Resources determines that a permit is necessary to protect public health or the environment.
(c) [Repealed.]
(d) The Secretary shall not regulate under this section a farm producing compost under subdivision 6001(22)(H) of this title. (Added 2009, No. 41, § 3; amended 2021, No. 41, § 6, eff. May 20, 2021.)