Animals: commercial animal feeding operations: prohibition on new operations.

Existing law establishes the Department of Food and Agriculture, which is under the control of the Secretary of Food and Agriculture. Existing law generally regulates, among other things, beef cattle feedlots, poultry plants, and slaughterhouses, and requires operators of those businesses to be licensed. Under existing law, a violation of certain of those provisions is a crime. This bill would prohibit commercial animal feeding operations, as defined, from commencing or expanding operations, except as specified. The bill would make any person that violates this prohibition civilly liable for a penalty in an amount not to exceed a sum of $10,000 per violation per day, but specify that a violation of this prohibition is not a crime.