(a) Except as provided in paragraph (b) of this section, plant means the land, buildings, facilities, and equipment constituting a single operating unit or establishment at which milk or milk products are received, processed, or packaged, including a facility described in paragraph (b)(2) of this section if the facility receives the milk of more than one dairy farmer.

(b) Plant shall not include:

(1) A separate building without stationary storage tanks that is used only as a reload point for transferring bulk milk from one tank truck to another or a separate building used only as a distribution point for storing packaged fluid milk products in transit for route disposition;

(2) An on-farm facility operated as part of a single dairy farm entity for the separation of cream and skim milk or the removal of water from milk; or

(3) Bulk reload points where milk is transferred from one tank truck to another while en route from dairy farmers' farms to a plant. If stationary storage tanks are used for transferring milk at the premises, the operator of the facility shall make an advance written request to the market administrator that the facility shall be treated as a reload point. The cooling of milk, collection of samples, and washing and sanitizing of tank trucks at the premises shall not disqualify it as a bulk reload point.