Section 25-8-504 - Agricultural wastes(1) Neither the commission nor the division shall require any permit for any flow or return flow of irrigation water into state waters except as may be required by the federal act or regulations. The provisions of any permit that are so required shall not be any more stringent than, and shall not contain any condition for monitoring or reporting in excess of, the minimum required by the federal act or regulations.(2)(a) Neither the commission nor the division shall require any permit for animal or agricultural waste on farms, ranches, and horticultural or floricultural operations, except as may be required by the federal act or regulations. The provisions of any permit that are so required shall not be any more stringent than, and shall not contain any condition for monitoring or reporting in excess of, the minimum required by the federal act or regulations.(b) Nothing in paragraph (a) of this subsection (2), as amended by House Bill 05-1180, as enacted at the first regular session of the sixty-fifth general assembly, shall be construed as changing the property tax classification of property owned by a horticultural or floricultural operation.(3) No permit or fee shall ever be required pursuant to this part 5 for the diversion of water from natural surface streams.(4) Nothing in this section shall be construed to affect the requirement of permits for housed commercial swine feeding operations pursuant to section 25-8-501.1.L. 81: Entire article R&RE, p. 1332, § 1, effective July 1. Initiated 98: (4) added, effective upon proclamation of the Governor, December 30, 1998. L. 2005: (2) amended, p. 350, § 7, effective August 8.(1) Subsection (4) was enacted by an initiated measure that was adopted by the people at the general election held November 3, 1998. The measure enacting subsection (4) was effective upon the proclamation of the Governor, December 30, 1998.
(2) The vote count on the measure at the general election held November 3, 1998, was as follows:
FOR: 790,852
AGAINST: 438,873