(510 ILCS 77/12)

Sec. 12. Public informational meeting; lagoons and non-lagoon structures.

(a) Beginning on the effective date of this amendatory Act of 1999, within 7 days after receiving a form giving notice of intent to construct (i) a new livestock management facility or livestock waste handling facility serving 1,000 or more animal units that does not propose to utilize a lagoon or (ii) a livestock waste management facility or livestock waste handling facility that does propose to utilize a lagoon, the Department shall send a copy of the notice form to the county board of the county in which the facility is to be located and shall publish a public notice in a newspaper of general circulation within the county. After receiving a copy of the notice form from the Department, the county board may, at its discretion and within 30 days after receipt of the notice, request that the Department conduct an informational meeting concerning the proposed construction that is subject to this Section. In addition, during the county's 30-day review period, county residents may petition the county board of the county where the proposed new facility will be located to request that the Department conduct an informational meeting. When petitioned by 75 or more of the county's residents who are registered voters, the county board shall request that the Department conduct an informational meeting. If the county board requests that the Department conduct the informational meeting, the Department shall conduct the informational meeting within 15 days of the county board's request. If the Department conducts such a meeting, it shall cause notice of the meeting to be published in a newspaper of general circulation in the county and in the State newspaper and shall send a copy of the notice to the County Board. Upon receipt of the notice, the County Board shall post the notice on the public informational board at the county courthouse at least 10 days before the meeting. The owner or operator who submitted the notice of intent to construct to the Department shall appear at the meeting. At the meeting, the Department shall afford members of the public an opportunity to ask questions and present oral or written comments concerning the proposed construction.

(b) The county board shall submit at the informational meeting or within 30 days following the meeting an advisory, non-binding recommendation to the Department about the proposed new facility's construction in accordance with the applicable requirements of this Act. The advisory, non-binding recommendation shall contain at a minimum:

(1) a statement of whether the proposed facility achieves or fails to achieve each of the 8 siting criteria as outlined in subsection (d); and

(2) a statement of the information and criteria used by the county board in determining that the proposed facility met or failed to meet any of the criteria described in subsection (d).

(c) When the county board requests an informational meeting, construction shall not begin until after the informational meeting has been held, the Department has reviewed the county board's recommendation and replied to the recommendation indicating if the proposed new livestock management facility or the new livestock waste handling facility is or will be in compliance with the requirements of the Act, and the owner, operator, or certified manager and operator has received the Department's notice that the setbacks and all applicable requirements of this Act have been met.

(d) At the informational meeting for the proposed facility, the Department of Agriculture shall receive evidence by testimony or otherwise on the following subjects:

(1) Whether registration and livestock waste management plan certification requirements, if required, are met by the notice of intent to construct.

(2) Whether the design, location, or proposed operation will protect the environment by being consistent with this Act.

(3) Whether the location minimizes any incompatibility with the surrounding area's character by being located in any area zoned for agriculture where the county has zoning or where the county is not zoned, the setback requirements established by this Act are complied with.

(4) Whether the facility is located within a 100-year floodplain or an otherwise environmentally sensitive area (defined as an area of karst area or with aquifer material within 5 feet of the bottom of the livestock waste handling facility) and whether construction standards set forth in the notice of intent to construct are consistent with the goal of protecting the safety of the area.

(5) Whether the owner or operator has submitted plans for operation that minimize the likelihood of any environmental damage to the surrounding area from spills, runoff, and leaching.

(6) Whether odor control plans are reasonable and incorporate reasonable or innovative odor reduction technologies given the current state of such technologies.

(7) Whether traffic patterns minimize the effect on existing traffic flows.

(8) Whether construction or modification of a new facility is consistent with existing community growth, tourism, recreation, or economic development or with specific projects involving community growth, tourism, recreation, or economic development that have been identified by government action for development or operation within one year through compliance with applicable zoning and setback requirements for populated areas as established by this Act.

(Source: P.A. 91-110, eff. 7-13-99.)