ID S1260

Grants the Idaho Department of Agriculture authority to regulate beef cattle animal feeding operations and dairy farms to protect state natural resources, including surface and ground water, while establishing an agreement with the Department of Environmental Quality regarding NPDES permit administration.

Requires all dairy farms to have approved dairy environmental management plans consisting of storage and containment facility criteria and nutrient management plans, with design and construction standards based on USDA or ASABE engineering specifications.

Authorizes the Department of Agriculture to assess civil penalties up to $10,000 per occurrence for noncompliance or unauthorized releases from dairy farms, with collected penalties remitted to the county where the violation occurred.

Specifies that dairy farms operating in compliance with their environmental management plans shall not be subject to enforcement action, and exempts farms from penalties for upset conditions or agricultural stormwater discharges.

Provides that if the federal EPA initiates an enforcement action regarding a dairy farm discharge to waters of the United States, any pending state enforcement actions shall be deemed void, though existing compliance orders remain in full force and effect.