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<regulation prefix="Regulation" num=".03" citation="COMAR 15.20.13.03" title_num="15" subtitle_num="20" chapter_num="13" heading="Definitions.">
  <paragraph num="A.">
    <text>In this chapter, the following terms have the meanings indicated.</text>
  </paragraph>
  <paragraph num="B.">
    <text>Food Processing Residuals.</text>
    <paragraph num="(1)">
      <text>“Food processing residuals” or “FPRs” means an organic material that is:</text>
      <paragraph num="(a)">
        <text>Generated by processing agricultural commodities for human or animal consumption and includes:</text>
        <paragraph num="(i)">
          <text>Food residuals;</text>
        </paragraph>
        <paragraph num="(ii)">
          <text>Food coproducts;</text>
        </paragraph>
        <paragraph num="(iii)">
          <text>Food processing wastes;</text>
        </paragraph>
        <paragraph num="(iv)">
          <text>Food processing sludges;</text>
        </paragraph>
        <paragraph num="(v)">
          <text>Organic material that is mixed or otherwise commingled with food residuals, food coproducts, food processing wastes, food processing sludges; or</text>
        </paragraph>
        <paragraph num="(vi)">
          <text>Any other incidental material whose characteristics are derived from processing agricultural products for human consumption or animal consumption; and</text>
        </paragraph>
      </paragraph>
      <paragraph num="(b)">
        <text>Registered with the State Chemist as a soil conditioner.</text>
      </paragraph>
    </paragraph>
    <paragraph num="(2)">
      <text>“Food processing residuals” does not include:</text>
      <paragraph num="(a)">
        <text>Digester digestate that has not been mixed or commingled with food processing residuals;</text>
      </paragraph>
      <paragraph num="(b)">
        <text>Animal and poultry manures that have not been mixed or commingled with food processing residuals;</text>
      </paragraph>
      <paragraph num="(c)">
        <text>Biosolids (i.e., Class A or Class B sewage sludge), as defined by the Maryland Department of the Environment in COMAR 26.04.06.03B(7);</text>
      </paragraph>
      <paragraph num="(d)">
        <text>Compost, that is, the product of composting in accordance with the standards established by the Secretary of Agriculture under Agriculture Article, §6-221, Annotated Code of Maryland, including food residuals:</text>
        <paragraph num="(i)">
          <text>Diverted from final disposal in a refuse disposal system for composting under COMAR 26.04.13; or</text>
        </paragraph>
        <paragraph num="(ii)">
          <text>Obtained from residential curbside or drop-off programs, including pre-consumer and post-consumer food scraps, transported to a composting facility in accordance with COMAR 26.04.11;</text>
        </paragraph>
      </paragraph>
      <paragraph num="(e)">
        <text>Spent mushroom soil; or</text>
      </paragraph>
      <paragraph num="(f)">
        <text>Water treatment plant residuals.</text>
      </paragraph>
    </paragraph>
  </paragraph>
  <paragraph num="C.">
    <text>Other Terms Defined.</text>
    <paragraph num="(1)">
      <text>Agricultural Land.</text>
      <paragraph num="(a)">
        <text>“Agricultural land” means more than 10 acres of land used to produce food, feed, fiber, sod, animals, plants, trees, or plants in containers (pots), or for out-of-ground production.</text>
      </paragraph>
      <paragraph num="(b)">
        <text>“Agricultural land” includes smaller, noncontiguous land parcels that total more than 10 acres.</text>
      </paragraph>
    </paragraph>
    <paragraph num="(2)">
      <text>“Agricultural operation” means each physical site where a person engages in a business that:</text>
      <paragraph num="(a)">
        <text>Grows, raises, keeps, pastures, or otherwise produces a farm product, including:</text>
        <paragraph num="(i)">
          <text>Any agricultural, horticultural, vegetable, or fruit product of the soil; or</text>
        </paragraph>
        <paragraph num="(ii)">
          <text>Livestock, poultry, eggs, dairy products, nuts, honey, and every product of the farm, a forest, or an orchard; and</text>
        </paragraph>
      </paragraph>
      <paragraph num="(b)">
        <text>Has:</text>
        <paragraph num="(i)">
          <text>A gross annual income of $2,500 or more; or</text>
        </paragraph>
        <paragraph num="(ii)">
          <text>Eight or more animal units.</text>
        </paragraph>
      </paragraph>
    </paragraph>
    <paragraph num="(3)">
      <text>“Animal unit” means 1,000 pounds of live animal weight.</text>
    </paragraph>
    <paragraph num="(4)">
      <text>“Applicant” means:</text>
      <paragraph num="(a)">
        <text>A person who owns or operates an agricultural operation; or</text>
      </paragraph>
      <paragraph num="(b)">
        <text>A commercial broker or commercial hauler who has contracted with the owner or operator of an agricultural operation to have food processing residuals utilized at that operation.</text>
      </paragraph>
    </paragraph>
    <paragraph num="(5)">
      <text>“Collection” means any action involved in the gathering or subsequent placement of food processing residuals, or any other product containing food processing residuals, into a vehicle, container, or any other vessel for transportation.</text>
    </paragraph>
    <paragraph num="(6)">
      <text>“Commercial broker” means a person who:</text>
      <paragraph num="(a)">
        <text>For commercial purposes, assumes temporary control of food processing residuals from an agricultural operation or a food processing plant and transports or arranges the transport of this material to an importing agricultural operation; and</text>
      </paragraph>
      <paragraph num="(b)">
        <text>Is not working for or under the control of an agricultural operation.</text>
      </paragraph>
    </paragraph>
    <paragraph num="(7)">
      <text>“Commercial hauler” means a person engaged in the business of hauling, transporting, moving, or land-applying food processing residuals as a contract agent for a farm operator, commercial broker, or food processing plant under the direction of the operator, broker, or processing plant.</text>
    </paragraph>
    <paragraph num="(8)">
      <text>“Constituent” means any component of food processing residuals that is an organic, inorganic, or combination of organic and inorganic substances.</text>
    </paragraph>
    <paragraph num="(9)">
      <text>“Container” means either an open or closed receptacle with a load capacity of 1 metric ton or less that includes a bucket, box, carton, vehicle or trailer.</text>
    </paragraph>
    <paragraph num="(10)">
      <text>“County” means as defined in the Agriculture Article, §1-101(c), Annotated Code of Maryland.</text>
    </paragraph>
    <paragraph num="(11)">
      <text>“Cover crop” means a cereal grain or cereal grain mix that:</text>
      <paragraph num="(a)">
        <text>Is planted:</text>
        <paragraph num="(i)">
          <text>Following the harvest of summer crops for the purpose of the seasonal protection of soil, the assimilation of residual nitrogen left from a previous crop, and the continued mineralization of nitrogen; and</text>
        </paragraph>
        <paragraph num="(ii)">
          <text>In accordance with the “Maryland Winter Cover Crop Program Requirement” for seeding rate, planting dates, and planting methods as published on the Department’s website.; and</text>
        </paragraph>
      </paragraph>
      <paragraph num="(b)">
        <text>Has germinated and attained at least 70 percent surface coverage on the field as measured by the standard line-transect method.</text>
      </paragraph>
    </paragraph>
    <paragraph num="(12)">
      <text>“Department” means the Maryland Department of Agriculture.</text>
    </paragraph>
    <paragraph num="(13)">
      <text>“Field ditch” means a channelized waterway that, as provided in the USDA-NRCS National Cooperative Soil Survey, is not within:</text>
      <paragraph num="(a)">
        <text>Floodplain soil-mapping unit;</text>
      </paragraph>
      <paragraph num="(b)">
        <text>Hydric soil that is mapped as a narrow, elongated feature in a fluvial or floodplain position; and</text>
      </paragraph>
      <paragraph num="(c)">
        <text>Soil-mapping unit that has a slope class of “B” or steeper.</text>
      </paragraph>
    </paragraph>
    <paragraph num="(14)">
      <text>“Food processing residuals generator” means a person who owns or operates a facility that processes food processing residuals to be utilized in this State.</text>
    </paragraph>
    <paragraph num="(15)">
      <text>“Groundwater” means water below the land surface in a saturated zone.</text>
    </paragraph>
    <paragraph num="(16)">
      <text>“Holding tank” means a watertight receptacle that has a capacity up to 20,000 gallons, which is used, or intended to be used, for the temporary storage of food processing residuals for land application.</text>
    </paragraph>
    <paragraph num="(17)">
      <text>“Land application” means the placement of food processing residuals, or any other product containing food processing residuals on or mixed with or injected into land used to support an agricultural crop.</text>
    </paragraph>
    <paragraph num="(18)">
      <text>“Nuisance” means unreasonable interference with the quality of life of the public because of the characteristics of noise, odor, vectors, solids, vapors, liquids, or gases that:</text>
      <paragraph num="(a)">
        <text>Causes distress or potential health impacts to members of the public or residents or users of properties adjacent to a site where food processing residuals is being utilized or has been utilized; and</text>
      </paragraph>
      <paragraph num="(b)">
        <text>Falls outside the protection afforded an agricultural operation under Courts and Judicial Proceedings Article, §5-403, Annotated Code of Maryland.</text>
      </paragraph>
    </paragraph>
    <paragraph num="(19)">
      <text>“Nutrient Management Plan” has the meaning stated in COMAR 15.20.08.</text>
    </paragraph>
    <paragraph num="(20)">
      <text>“Pasture land” means land on which animals feed directly on forage and grain crops, such as legumes, grasses, or grain stubble.</text>
    </paragraph>
    <paragraph num="(21)">
      <text>“Permittee” means a person who holds a Food Processing Residuals Utilization Permit.</text>
    </paragraph>
    <paragraph num="(22)">
      <text>“Person” means an individual, or any partnership, firm, association, public or private corporation, or any other entity.</text>
    </paragraph>
    <paragraph num="(23)">
      <text>“State” means the State of Maryland unless otherwise specified.</text>
    </paragraph>
    <paragraph num="(24)">
      <text>“Storage facility” means a waste storage facility that meets USDA-NRCS Waste Storage Facility No. 313 Conservation Practice Standards or an equivalent standard determined by a professional engineer for the containment of wastes generated by agricultural production or processing.</text>
    </paragraph>
    <paragraph num="(25)">
      <text>“Surface water” means all waters of the State that are not groundwater.</text>
    </paragraph>
    <paragraph num="(26)">
      <text>“Tidal wetland” has the meaning stated in COMAR 26.04.02.02.</text>
    </paragraph>
    <paragraph num="(27)">
      <text>“Transportation” means the movement or conveyance of food processing residuals or any other product containing food processing residuals by road.</text>
    </paragraph>
    <paragraph num="(28)">
      <text>“Treatment” means a process, which alters, modifies, or changes the biological, physical, or chemical characteristics of food processing residuals.</text>
    </paragraph>
    <paragraph num="(29)">
      <text>“USDA-NRCS” means the United States Department of Agriculture-Natural Resources Conservation Service.</text>
    </paragraph>
    <paragraph num="(30)">
      <text>“NRCS Waste Storage Facility No. 313 Conservation Practice Standard” means the technical standards for waste storage facilities set forth in USDA-NRCS Field Office Technical Guide which is incorporated by reference.</text>
    </paragraph>
    <paragraph num="(31)">
      <text>“Utilize food processing residuals” means:</text>
      <paragraph num="(a)">
        <text>Handling or storing food processing residuals;</text>
      </paragraph>
      <paragraph num="(b)">
        <text>Using food processing residuals for land application; and</text>
      </paragraph>
      <paragraph num="(c)">
        <text>Transporting food processing residuals to or from a generator of food processing residuals or to or from an agricultural operation.</text>
      </paragraph>
    </paragraph>
  </paragraph>
</regulation>