Letter from ANR: S.102 and Importing Solid Waste to Vermont Farms

On Friday, ANR sent THIS letter to current composters registered with/certified by the state.

Here is a brief excerpt explaining the impact of S. 102 on composters importing 2,000 cubic yards or less/year of food residuals:

“The new law, which was effective immediately upon signature, applies to two specific importation situations. The changes of note appear in the definition of “farming” in 10 V.S.A. § 6001(22) which has been amended to include the following importation scenarios:

(H) the importation of 2,000 cubic yards per year or less of food residuals or food processing residuals onto a farm for the production of compost, provided that:

(i) the compost is principally used on the farm where it is produced; or

(ii) the compost is produced on a small farm that raises or manages poultry.

This means, if your farm composting operation meets section (H)(i) or (H)(ii) above, then you are exempt from needing a registration or certification from the Solid Waste Management Program. Instead, you will operate under the jurisdiction of the Agency of Agriculture, Food and Markets. If you have any questions about if you qualify or what the transition to AAFM oversight could look like for you please feel free to reach out to Cary Giguere directly at (802)828-6531 or cary.giguere@vermont.gov.”

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For more information on S. 102, check out our On-Farm Composting Factsheet!