Definition of Biomass - Biomass Gasification, Pyrolysis and Torrefaction - page 457

Appendix A
Definition of Biomass
Although it is generally agreed that biomass is formed from living species
like plants and animals that is now alive or was alive a short time ago, its
legal definition is less straightforward. A legal definition is necessary in
some countries where special financial incentive or provisions are made for
biomass-based product or energy.
1. In the United States, the definition of biomass has been hotly debated.
Currently, the generally accepted definition can be found in the American
Clean Energy and Security Act of 2009, H.R. 2454, excerpted as follows:
The term “renewable biomass” means any of the following:
(A) Plant material, including waste material, harvested or collected
from actively managed agricultural land that was in cultivation,
cleared, or fallow and non-forested on the date of enactment of this
section;
(B) Plant material, including waste material, harvested or collected
from pastureland that was non-forested on such date of enactment;
(C) Nonhazardous vegetative matter derived from waste, including sepa-
rated yard waste, landscape right-of-way trimmings, construction
and demolition debris or food waste (but not municipal solid waste,
recyclable waste paper, painted, treated or pressurized wood, or
wood contaminated with plastic or metals);
(D) Animal waste or animal byproducts, including products of animal
waste digesters;
(E) Algae;
(F) Trees, brush, slash, residues, or any other vegetative matter removed
from within 600 feet of any building, campground, or route desig-
nated for evacuation by a public official with responsibility for emer-
gency preparedness, or from within 300 feet of a paved road, elec-
tric transmission line, utility tower, or water supply line;
(G) Residues from or byproducts of milled logs;
(H) Any of the following removed from forested land that is not Federal
and is not high conservation priority land:
(i) Trees, brush, slash, residues, inter-planted energy crops, or any
other vegetative matter removed from an actively managed tree
plantation established—