H 722 - Poultry Waste Management

• Creates a permitting program for dry litter poultry operations under the North Carolina Environmental Quality Commission, requiring individual or general permits before constructing or operating animal waste management systems.

• Prohibits construction of any animal waste management system component within the 100-year floodplain, effective January 1, 2024.

• Requires dry litter poultry facilities with 30,000 or more birds to annually submit animal waste management plans in digital format to the Department of Environmental Quality, including testing and record-keeping requirements.

• Directs the Environmental Review Commission to conduct a comprehensive study examining the number and location of poultry farms in North Carolina, waste disposal methods, environmental and public health impacts, and regulatory recommendations, with findings due to the 2024 legislative session.

• Increases transparency by allowing disclosure of farm operation location, size, and ownership information, while maintaining confidentiality of other farm-specific data unless disclosure is necessary for disease prevention or public health protection.