CAFO legislation moved out of the Senate Agriculture Committee last week after many hours of testimony. The bills are in response to a pending deadline for all large CAFOs to get permits as of July 1, 2007. The bills provide an exemption for farms certified under the Michigan Agricultural Environmental Assurance Program (MAEAP). The committee heard testimony from former governmental officials that the MAEAP program is not a sufficient substitute for a water discharge permit.
The bills also have a number of problems as noted in earlier e-mails.
House Energy Committee is scheduled to take testimony and possibly move a bill on renewable energy standards.
SENATE
On the floor:
- SB 501: A bill to require the department of environmental quality to publish a booklet on farm-related environmental regulations and cooperate with the department of agriculture.
- SB 502: A bill to require a complainant to provide his or her name to the department of environmental quality when submitting a complaint concerning a farm.
- SB 503: A bill to regulate animal waste handlers.
- SB 504: A bill to create a permit process for concentrated animal feeding operations and provide permit exemptions for farms enrolled in the MAEAP program unless they are 5x the size of a large CAFO as defined in the bill.
- SB 447: A bill to provide for water pollution permit requirements for animal feeding operations.
- SB 448: A bill to provide penalties and remedies for water pollution from concentrated animal feeding operations.
- SB 407: A bill to revise the eligibility criteria for the corridor improvement authority.
- HB 4597: A bill to provide for hunting on Department of Natural Resources controlled land.
In committee:
Natural Resources and Environmental Affairs will meet Wednesday (6/20) at 1:00 PM to take up:
- SB 513: A bill to specify authorized sites composting of yard clippings and require haulers to verify.
- SB 540: A bill to provide a standard for noise emission from snowmobiles.
- SB 545: A bill to provide for waiver of storm water permit fees for certain municipalities.
Agriculture will meet jointly with the House Agriculture Committee on Thursday (6/21) at 9:00 AM for a presentation by the Mitch Irwin, Chair of the Renewable Fuels Commission.
HOUSE
On the floor:
- HB 4711-13: Bills to amend the brownfield redevelopment act to allow more costs to be covered by captured tax revenues and change the MDEQ approval process for some of those costs.
- HB 4641: A bill to allow a county board of commissioners to change name of office of county drain commissioner to office of the water resources commissioner and authorize and increase amount of bond.
- HB 4642: A bill to provide for a definition of the term "visibly in existence".
- HB 4643: A bill to clarify liability for certain legal expenses of a drainage district.
- HB 4644: A bill to increase the enforcement power for removing obstructions or interferences with drains.
- HB 4688: A bill to double the amount a drain commissioner can spend on maintenance of a drain (from $2,500 to $5,000) – and assess those costs to taxpayers within a special assessment district. The taxpayers in such a district have no right to a vote on the maintenance project.
- SB 350: A bill to create an animal welfare fund.
- HB 4463: A bill to require the issuance of a permit to operate a marina at a public road. The MDEQ is concerned that the “shall issue” nature of the application could result in environmental degradation and possible overcrowding on inland lakes.
- HB 4464: A bill to clarify the intention of a plat donation of a road, street, or alley terminating at a lake or stream contiguous to a shoreline.
In committee:
Subcommittees on appropriations:
Natural Resources will meet Monday (6/18) at 6:00 PM at the Carl T. Johnson Center, 6093 E. M-115 in Cadillac, Michigan, to discuss Hunting/Fishing Fee Proposals.
Standing committees:
Energy and Technology will meet Wednesday (6/20) at 9:00 AM to take up:
- HB 4562: A bill to require certain providers of electric service to comply with portfolio standard for renewable energy. (10% by 2015)
- HB 4539: A bill to require utilities to produce a certain portion of electricity for sale through renewable sources. (20% by 2020)
- HB 4319: A bill to require utilities to produce a certain portion of electricity for sale through renewable sources. (7% by 2015)
Transportation: Public Transit will meet Wednesday (6/20) at 9:00 AM for presentations by Norm White, Director of the Detroit Department of Transportation; and Sondra Nelson, Special Projects Coordinator for the Wayne County Department of Public Services.
Agriculture will meet jointly with Senate Agriculture on Thursday (6/21) at 9:00 AM for a presentation by the Mitch Irwin, Chair of the Renewable Fuels Commission.
