Section 7. The department, in consultation with the department of food and agriculture, shall establish a program to provide for recycling through composting of leaves and other organic matter.
(a) The department shall be authorized to implement regional yard waste and leaf composting projects and shall utilize state-owned land where feasible. The department shall also be authorized to accept applications from municipalities for grants and to award grants to assist in the development of local and regional composting projects. The department shall promulgate rules and regulations for the operation of a state and local yard waste and leaf composting program.
(b) The department shall establish an agricultural composting program. The department may: (i) establish state and local composting projects, (ii) a demonstration agricultural composting program and (iii) accept applications for grants from municipalities for the purposes of creating agricultural composting projects. The department, in consultation with the department of agriculture resources, shall promulgate rules and regulations for the operation of state, local and demonstration agricultural composting programs. The department of environmental protection shall not delegate regulatory authority to any other executive agency or allow for exception from such regulations for any type of composting operation.