510 ILCS 77/13

(510 ILCS 77/13)

Sec. 13. Livestock waste handling facilities other than earthen livestock waste lagoons; construction standards; certification; inspection; removal-from-service requirements.

(a) After the effective date of this amendatory Act of 1999, livestock waste handling facilities other than earthen livestock waste lagoons used for the storage of livestock waste shall be constructed in accordance with this Section.

(1) Livestock waste handling facilities constructed of concrete shall meet the strength and load factors set forth in the Midwest Plan Service's Concrete Manure Storage Handbook (MWPS-36) and future updates. In addition, those structures shall meet the following requirements:

(A) Waterstops shall be incorporated into the design of the storage structure when consistent with the requirements of paragraph (1) of this subsection;

(B) Storage structures that handle waste in a liquid form shall be designed to contain a volume of not less than the amount of waste generated during 150 days of facility operation at design capacity; the owner or operator of a livestock waste handling facility constructed with concrete with a design capacity of less than 300 animal units may demonstrate to the Department that a reduced storage volume, not less than 60 days, is feasible due to (i) the availability of land application areas that can receive manure at agronomic rates or (ii) another manure disposal method is proposed that will allow for the reduced manure storage design capacity; the Department shall evaluate the proposal and determine whether a reduced manure storage design capacity is appropriate for the site; and

(C) Storage structures not covered or otherwise protected from precipitation shall, in addition to the waste storage volume requirements of subparagraph (B) of paragraph (1) of this subsection, include a 2-foot freeboard.

(2) A livestock waste handling facility in a prefabricated form shall meet the strength, load, and compatibility factors for its intended use. Those factors shall be verified by the manufacturer's specifications.

(3) Livestock waste handling facilities holding semi-solid livestock waste, including but not limited to picket dam structures, shall be constructed according to the requirements set forth in the Midwest Plan Service's Livestock Waste Facilities Handbook (MWPS-18) and future updates or similar standards used by the Natural Resources Conservation Service of the United States Department of Agriculture.

(4) Livestock waste handling facilities holding solid livestock waste shall be constructed according to the requirements set forth in the Midwest Plan Service's Livestock Waste Facilities Handbook (MWPS-18) and future updates or similar standards used by the Natural Resources Conservation Service of the United States Department of Agriculture. In addition, solid livestock waste stacking structures shall be sized to store not less than the amount of waste generated during 6 months of facility operation at design capacity. The owner or operator of a livestock waste handling facility holding solid livestock waste with a design capacity of less than 300 animal units may demonstrate to the Department that a reduced storage volume, not less than 2 months, is feasible due to (i) the availability of land application areas that can receive manure at agronomic rates or (ii) another manure disposal method is proposed that will allow for the reduced storage design capacity. The Department shall evaluate the proposal and determine whether a reduced manure storage design capacity is appropriate for the site.

(5) Holding ponds used for the temporary storage of livestock feedlot run-off shall be constructed according to the requirements set forth in the Midwest Plan Service's Livestock Waste Facilities Handbook (MWPS-18) and future updates or similar standards used by the Natural Resources Conservation Service of the United States Department of Agriculture.

(b) New livestock management facilities and livestock waste handling facilities constructed after the effective date of this amendatory Act of 1999 shall be subject to the additional construction requirements and siting prohibitions provided in this subsection (b).

(1) No new non-lagoon livestock management facility or livestock waste handling facility may be constructed within the floodway of a 100-year floodplain. A new livestock management facility or livestock waste handling facility may be constructed within the portion of a 100-year floodplain that is within the flood fringe and outside the floodway provided that the facility is designed and constructed to be protected from flooding and meets the requirements set forth in the Rivers, Lakes, and Streams Act, Section 5-40001 of the Counties Code, and Executive Order Number 4 (1979). The delineation of floodplains, floodways, and flood fringes shall be in compliance with the National Flood Insurance Program. Protection from flooding shall be consistent with the National Flood Insurance Program and shall be designed so that stored livestock waste is not readily removed.

(2) A new non-lagoon livestock waste handling facility constructed in a karst area shall be designed to prevent seepage of the stored material into groundwater in accordance with ASAE 393.2 or future updates. Owners or operators of proposed facilities should consult with the local soil and water conservation district, the University of Illinois Cooperative Extension Service, or other local, county, or State resources relative to determining the possible presence or absence of such areas. Notwithstanding the other provisions of this paragraph (2), after the effective date of this amendatory Act of 1999, no non-lagoon livestock waste handling facility may be constructed within 400 feet of any natural depression in a karst area formed as a result of subsurface removal of soil or rock materials that has caused the formation of a collapse feature that exhibits internal drainage. For the purposes of this paragraph (2), the existence of such a natural depression in a karst area shall be indicated by the uppermost closed depression contour lines on a USGS 7 1/2 minute quadrangle topographic map or as determined by Department field investigation in a karst area.

(3) A new non-lagoon livestock waste handling facility constructed in an area where aquifer material is present within 5 feet of the bottom of the facility shall be designed to ensure the structural integrity of the containment structure and to prevent seepage of the stored material to groundwater. Footings and underlying structure support shall be incorporated into the design standards of the storage structure in accordance with the requirements of Section 4.1 of the American Society of Agricultural Engineers (ASAE) EP 393.2 or future updates.

(c) A livestock waste handling facility owner may rely on guidance from the local soil and water conservation district, the Natural Resources Conservation Service of the United States Department of Agriculture, or the University of Illinois Cooperative Extension Service for soil type and associated information.

(d) The standards in subsections (a) and (b) shall serve as interim construction standards until such time as permanent rules promulgated pursuant to Section 55 of this Act become effective. In addition, the Department and the Board shall utilize the interim standards in subsections (a) and (b) as a basis for the development of such permanent rules.

(e) The owner or operator of a livestock management facility or livestock waste handling facility may, with the approval of the Department, elect to exceed the strength and load requirements as set forth in this Section.

(f) The owner or operator of a livestock management facility or livestock waste handling facility shall send, by certified mail or in person, to the Department a certification of compliance together with copies of verification documents upon completion of construction. In the case of structures constructed with the design standards used by the Natural Resources Conservation Service of the United States Department of Agriculture, copies of the design standards and a statement of verification signed by a representative of the United States Department of Agriculture shall accompany the owner's or operator's certification of compliance. The certification shall state that the structure meets or exceeds the requirements in subsection (a) of this Section. A $250 filing fee shall accompany the statement.

(g) The Department shall inspect the construction site prior to construction, during construction, and within 10 business days following receipt of the certification of compliance to determine compliance with the construction standards.

(h) The Department shall require modification when necessary to bring the construction into compliance with the standards set forth in this Section. The person making the inspection shall discuss with the owner, operator, or certified livestock manager an evaluation of the livestock waste handling facility construction and shall (i) provide on-site written recommendations to the owner, operator, or certified livestock manager of what modifications are necessary or (ii) inform the owner, operator, or certified livestock manager that the facility meets the standards set forth in this Section. On the day of the inspection, the person making the inspection shall give the owner, operator, or certified livestock manager a written report of findings based on the inspection together with an explanation of remedial measures necessary to enable the livestock waste handling facility to meet the standards set forth in this Section. The Department shall, within 5 business days of the date of inspection, send an official written notice to the owner or operator of the livestock waste handling facility by certified mail, return receipt requested, indicating that the facility meets the standards set forth in this Section or identifying the remedial measures necessary to enable the livestock waste handling facility to meet the standards set forth in this Section. The owner or operator shall, within 10 business days of receipt of an official written notice of deficiencies, contact the Department to develop the principles of an agreement of compliance. The owner or operator and the Department shall enter into an agreement of compliance setting forth the specific changes to be made to bring the construction into compliance with the standards required under this Section. If an agreement of compliance cannot be achieved, the Department shall issue a compliance order to the owner or operator outlining the specific changes to be made to bring the construction into compliance with the standards required under this Section. The owner or operator can request an administrative hearing to contest the provisions of the Department's compliance order.

(i) (Blank).

(j) If any owner or operator operates in violation of an agreement of compliance, the Department shall seek an injunction in circuit court to prohibit the operation of the facility until construction and certification of the livestock waste handling facility are in compliance with the provisions of this Section.

(k) When any livestock management facility not using an earthen livestock waste lagoon is removed from service, the accumulated livestock waste remaining within the facility shall be removed and applied to land at rates consistent with a waste management plan for the facility. Removal of the waste shall occur within 12 months after the date livestock production at the facility ceases. In addition, the owner or operator shall make provisions to prevent the accumulation of precipitation within the livestock waste handling facility. Upon completion of the removal of manure, the owner or operator of the facility shall notify the Department that the facility is being removed from service and the remaining manure has been removed. The Department shall conduct an inspection of the livestock waste handling facility and inform the owner or operator in writing that the requirements imposed under this subsection (k) have been met or that additional actions are necessary. Commencement of operations at a facility that has livestock shelters left intact and that has completed the requirements imposed under this subsection (k) and that has been operated as a livestock management facility or livestock waste handling facility for 4 consecutive months at any time within the previous 10 years shall not be considered a new or expanded livestock management or waste handling facility. A new facility constructed after May 21, 1996 that has been removed from service for a period of 2 or more years shall not be placed back into service prior to an inspection of the livestock waste handling facility and receipt of written approval by the Department.

(Source: P.A. 95-38, eff. 1-1-08; 96-328, eff. 8-11-09.)