1217 Committee

The 1217 Interagency Guidance Committee was established by the North Carolina General Assembly Senate Bill 1217 (Session Law 1995-626) that was ratified in June of 1996. Since then, the committee has been known colloquially as the 1217 Committee. Section 18 of the bill authorized the creation of the interagency group to:

• Address questions from technical specialists and provide uniform interpretations to technical specialists regarding the requirements of the animal waste? management rules
• Publish its decisions on these questions on a regular and recurring basis
• Provide uniform strategies for operators of intensive livestock operations to meet the December 31, 1997, deadline to obtain an approved animal waste management plan
• Develop, no later than August 1, 1996 the following:
  • A standard for the use of riparian buffers? or equivalent controls as best management practices, particularly along perennial streams
  • Decide whether a uniform state standard, a uniform basinwide standard, or a site-specific standard best protects water quality
  • Submit the standard that the group decides upon to the Soil and Water Conservation Commission? for adoption in developing best management practices for riparian buffers and equivalent controls under Section 6 of the act.

The 1217 Committee continues to meet to provide uniform interpretations of animal waste management rules in North Carolina and address questions from technical specialsts.

In June 2011, Senate Bill 378 was passed to direct the 1217 Committee to develop interim agronomic rates and guidance around application rates and levels of animal waste on new energy grass? types such as miscanthus, switchgrass, forage sorghum? and arundo donax. These grasses are being investigated by the Biofuels Center of North Carolina as a highly-productive means of supplying low-cost cellulosic feedstocks? in a three-county region of where North Carolina's intensive hog industry is concentrated.

External links:

1217 Committee page at the NCDA

Senate Bill 378 on Energy Grass Animal Waste Application Rates

Senate Bill 1217