This bill amends Iowa's animal feeding operations regulations to include shellfish as a category of animals subject to the same standards as other livestock. Specifically, it modifies the definition of "animal" in Section 459.102 to include shellfish alongside cattle, swine, horses, sheep, chickens, turkeys, and fish. Additionally, it introduces new paragraphs that establish equivalency factors for shellfish based on their weight, assigning 0.001 animal units for shellfish weighing 25 grams or more and 0.00006 animal units for those weighing less than 25 grams.

The bill aims to ensure that shellfish are regulated similarly to other animal species within the framework of the Department of Natural Resources (DNR) oversight. This includes compliance with air and water quality standards, as well as the potential for civil penalties for violations of these regulations. The penalties for non-compliance remain consistent with existing laws, allowing for administrative assessments of up to $10,000 for air quality violations and up to $10,000 or $5,000 for water quality violations, depending on the nature of the infraction.

Statutes affected:
Introduced: 459.102