House Bill 1568 Summary

• Requires prior approval from the Department of Environmental Management before starting construction of a concentrated animal feeding operation (CAFO) or confined feeding operation, or before expanding either type of operation to increase animal or manure containment capacity.

• Establishes financial assurance requirements for owners and operators of confined feeding operations and CAFOs to cover closure, postclosure monitoring, spill response, and third-party compensation for bodily injury or property damage.

• Allows financial assurance to be demonstrated through performance bonds, certificates of deposit, letters of credit, insurance policies, trust funds, financial self-insurance, or corporate guarantees, with amounts to be set by the Water Pollution Control Board.

• Requires applicants to submit a closure plan along with their construction or expansion applications, effective January 1, 2012.

• Directs the Water Pollution Control Board to adopt rules establishing graduated financial assurance amounts by operation size before January 1, 2012.