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The Vermont Statutes Online
Title
06
:
Agriculture
Chapter
215
:
AGRICULTURAL WATER QUALITY
Subchapter
001
:
GENERAL PROVISIONS
§
4801. Purpose; State policy
It is the
purpose of this chapter to ensure that agricultural animal wastes do not enter
the waters of this State. Therefore, it is State policy that:
(1) All farms
meet certain standards in the handling and disposal of animal wastes, as
provided by this chapter and the cost of meeting these standards shall not be
borne by farmers only, but rather by all members of society, who are in fact
the beneficiaries. Accordingly, State and federal funds shall be made available
to farms, regardless of size, to defray the major cost of complying with the
requirements of this chapter. State and federal conservation programs to assist
farmers should be directed to those farms that need to improve their
infrastructure to prohibit direct discharges or bring existing water pollution
control structures into compliance with U.S. Department of Agriculture
(U.S.D.A.) Natural Resources Conservation Service standards. Additional
resources should be directed to education and technical assistance for farmers
to improve the management of agricultural wastes and protect water quality.
(2) Officials
who administer the provisions of this chapter:
(A) shall
educate farmers and other affected citizens on requirements of this chapter
through an outreach collaboration with farm associations and other community
groups;
(B) shall, in
the process of rendering official decisions, afford farmers and other affected
citizens an opportunity to be heard and give consideration to all interests
expressed; and
(C) may provide
grants from a program established under this chapter to eligible Vermont
municipalities, local or regional governmental agencies, nonprofit
organizations, and citizen groups in order to provide direct financial
assistance to farms in implementing conservation practices. (Added 2003, No.
149 (Adj. Sess.), § 2, eff. June 3, 2004; amended 2013, No. 83, § 10, eff. June
10, 2013.)
