Senate Bill 1376 Summary

• Establishes the Dairy Environmental Control Act under new Chapter 6, Title 37, Idaho Code, to regulate dairy farm waste systems and protect state water resources while maintaining a viable dairy industry.

• Assigns sole responsibility to the Idaho Department of Agriculture to protect ground water and surface water within dairy farm boundaries, with consultation required from Department of Environmental Quality before certifying discharges under federal NPDES permits.

• Requires all dairy farms to design and construct waste systems according to department rules and to maintain approved nutrient management plans covering farm sites and land where livestock waste is applied.

• Authorizes department inspectors to enter dairy farms, inspect premises, review records, and sample substances related to compliance, with protections against warrantless searches without consent.

• Sets penalties of up to $10,000 per occurrence for unauthorized discharges and noncompliance, with civil penalties remitted to the county where violations occur; provides safe harbor from state enforcement actions for compliant dairy farms except in cases of imminent and substantial danger.

• Repeals existing law on pasteurization (Chapter 7), milk quality grades (Chapter 8), and discrimination in dairy product sales (Chapter 10) from Title 37, Idaho Code.