§ 34A-3A-24 — Certain animal feeding operations prohibited from locating over shallow aquifer.

No concentrated animal feeding operation that includes a number of animals equal to or greater than one thousand animal units may be located over a shallow aquifer unless a groundwater discharge permit has been approved in accordance with chapter 34A-2 . For purposes of this section, a shallow aquifer is any aquifer having the following characteristics: (1) The aquifer is within fifty feet or less below the land surface with fifteen feet or less of continuous, overlying, extremely low permeability geologic material, such as clayey till or shale. Weathered till or highly fractured weathered shale is not an extremely low permeability material for purposes of this section; or (2) The aquifer is greater than fifty feet but less than one hundred feet below the land surface with thirty feet or less of continuous overlying low to extremely low permeability geologic material that may be a combination of weathered and unweathered till, shale, or till and shale. This section does not apply to any concentrated animal feeding operation that was operating on or before July 1, 1997. This section does not limit or prohibit the expansion of any concentrated animal feeding operation that was operating on or before July 1, 1997. The provisions of this section do not apply to any county which has officially adopted a comprehensive plan and zoning ordinances pursuant to chapter 11-2 and wellhead protection ordinances pursuant to § 7-18-20 .

Legislative History

SL 1997, ch 210, §§ 1, 2.