At the most recent meeting of NorCo's Energy and Environment Committee, Executive Lamont McClure announced that biosolids, often called sludge, is being banned on all county-owned farms. NorCo currently owns six farms totaling about 500 aces, which are leased to local farmers. McClure stated he wants these farms to be "models for best practices in conservation and sustainable agriculture."
This ban is inapplicable to farms preserved with agricultural conservation easements.
8 comments:
“Executive Lamont McClure announced that biosolids, often called sludge, is being banned on all county-owned farms.”
Wouldn’t that mean that McClure has now banned himself from speaking at any county-owned farm?
McClure/biosolids fits well when mentioned together
Maybe a dumb question, but I live near a farm that accepts sludge. Where do I look to find a list of county owned farms to make sure they are in compliance?
There have been instances of farmland being contaminated with forever chemicals as a result of sludge spreading, so this is very good.
https://www.nytimes.com/2024/08/31/climate/pfas-fertilizer-sludge-farm.html
Yet Nazareth's own Municipal Authority still considers this a "Best Practice". They are so mis-informed, even when their own sewage sludge samples are part of an Arizona PFAS study that show the average concentration of PFAS are in the ppb, when other studies show there are NO SAFE LEVELS of PFAS for humans. EPA released drinking water standards in April 2024 with levels less than 4-10 ppt. NBMA has been sold a line of sh!t from their 'experts' who make money by spreading this crap. Well done McClure. Stop the pollution of our farms, our land and our environment.
Do better Nazareth "leaders".
So how do these compounds end up in the waste stream? Let me count the ways. food packaging, cosmetics, feminine hygiene products, toilet paper, water resistant clothing, stain resistant carpet/furniture, paint, dental floss, shampoo, and the list goes on.
Why focus on the end of the pipe solution that will force this material into landfills? Don't we like to protest landfill expansion too?
Maybe the county should be supporting a ban on these compounds in packaging and personal care products like Maryland has. If you're clutching you pearls about 4ppt as a drinking water standard, take a look at chocolate cake! FDA found PFAS in chocolate cake at 17,000 ppt. Sludge? hell, we should ban dessert! But hey, let's focus on what's important here.
Bigger picture: The county should sell the farms that it owns. It has no business to be in the farming business.
7:20, I'll disagree, First the county is not in the farming business. It leases to farmers. Second, the farms it owns abut county parks as well as Gracedale. That land can eventually be used for park expansion or to expand county buildings at the Gracedale campus.
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