2015 Oklahoma Statutes
Title 2. Agriculture
§2-20-44. Mandatory and voluntary licensure - Designation of operations.

A. 1. Any animal feeding operation meeting the criteria defining a concentrated animal feeding operation shall be required to obtain a license to operate pursuant to the Oklahoma Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations Act and rules promulgated pursuant thereto.

2. No animal feeding operation which voluntarily obtains a license pursuant to the Oklahoma Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations Act shall be considered to be a concentrated animal feeding operation unless the operation meets the definition of concentrated animal feeding operation.

3. Any animal feeding operation other than a concentrated animal feeding operation, regardless of the number of animals, shall only be required to be licensed pursuant to the provisions of the Oklahoma Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations Act and rules promulgated pursuant thereto if the State Board of Agriculture determines the operation to be a significant contributor of pollution to waters of the state pursuant to subsection C of this section.

B. Two or more animal feeding operations under common ownership are considered, for the purposes of licensure, to be a single animal feeding operation if they adjoin each other or if they use a common area or system for the disposal of wastes.

C. 1. The State Board of Agriculture may make a case-by-case designation of concentrated animal feeding operations pursuant to this section. Any animal feeding operation may be designated as a concentrated animal feeding operation if it is determined to be a significant contributor of pollution to the waters of the state. In making this designation, the Board shall consider the following factors:

a.the size of the animal feeding operation and the amount of wastes reaching waters of the state,

b.the location of the animal feeding operation relative to waters of the state,

c.the means of conveyance of animal waste and wastewater into waters of the state,

d.the method of disposal for animal waste and process wastewater disposal,

e.the slope, vegetation, rainfall and other factors affecting the likelihood or frequency of discharge of animal wastes and process wastewaters into waters of the state, and

f.other such factors relative to the significance of the pollution problem sought to be regulated.

2. In no case shall an application for a license be required from an animal feeding operation pursuant to this subsection until there has been an on-site inspection of the operation and a determination by the Oklahoma Department of Agriculture, Food, and Forestry that the operation is a concentrated animal feeding operation. Should the Department determine that the operation is a concentrated animal feeding operation, the Department shall notify the operation of the determination and of an opportunity for the owner or operator of the facility to request an administrative hearing on the issue.

3. Process wastewater in the overflow may be discharged to navigable waters whenever rainfall events, either chronic or catastrophic, cause an overflow of process wastewater from a retention structure properly designed, constructed and operated to contain all process wastewaters plus the runoff from a twenty-five-year, twenty-four-hour rainfall event for the location of the point source. There shall be no effluent limitations on discharges from a waste facility constructed, and properly maintained to contain the twenty-five-year, twenty-four-hour storm event; provided the proper design, construction, and operation of the retention structure shall include, but not be limited to, one (1) foot of free board.

D. No new concentrated animal feeding operation or expansion of a concentrated animal feeding operation requiring a license pursuant to the Oklahoma Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations Act shall be constructed or placed in operation unless final design plans, specifications and a Pollution Prevention Plan developed pursuant to Section 35 of this act have been approved by the Department.

Added by Laws 2007, c. 31, § 32, eff. Nov. 1, 2007.