Using treated biosolids from sewage treatment plants as fertilizer seems like a win-win situation and a good example of sustainable develop. After all, in this scenario the farmer is cutting down on manufactured fertilizer use, which requires natural gas to make, and the farmer is providing a place to dispose of the waste, and in a manner that can help raise crops and livestock. Yet, a farmer who has tried this approach in Wayne County, Texas is meeting with resistance from his neighbors, some of whom are fellow farmers. Their complaint—the smell.
As Texas Twp. Supervisor John McDonald, who is a farmer, stated in John Mrozinski’s article for the Scranton Times-Tribune online, ‘“I don’t think people should smell it down there as long as they did . . . The stench was awful. It went on for weeks.” Though the application of the waste is allowed under current state regulations, McDonald believes supervisors are thinking about putting together an ordinance that will respond to the concerns of local residents about the smell.
However, the supervisors might not be able to ban what is a legally permitted practice. In Wayne County, Agricultural Security Zones protect legal and common farming practices for farms within the zone from nuisance laws. For local farmers, the biosolids are a welcome resource in a time when chemical fertilizer prices are on the rise.
According to the state Department of Environmental protection, all required permits to use the biosolids were obtained before application. Additionally, despite complaints from neighbors, no violations have been found. So, despite his neighbors’ complaints, natural fertilizer will still be the used in Wayne County.
To read the Times-Tribune article click here.
Posted: 09/09/09
