ARCHIVE SITE - Last updated Jan. 19, 2017. Please visit www.NACWA.org for the latest NACWA information.
ARCHIVE SITE - Last updated Jan. 19, 2017. Please visit www.NACWA.org for the latest NACWA information.
In the past few weeks several Associated Press (AP) articles on biosolids management have been published online and in newspapers across the nation. The articles have made claims that human and animal health have been adversely impacted by biosolids land application, have alleged organized government cover-ups, and raised environmental justice concerns. Most of the claims and statements in these articles have already been shown to be untrue by those closely involved with the cited court cases and research studies, but the articles nevertheless are having an impact locally and at the national level, including potentially influencing the recent announcement by Senator Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.), Chair of the Environment & Public Works (EPW) Committee, that she will hold a hearing on biosolids by the end of the summer. This Regulatory Alert provides the NACWA membership with additional information on these recent articles and developments and lays out steps that NACWA is taking at the national level to address these and related issues. Issue Overview and BackgroundNACWA reported last fall that Senator Boxer had written a letter to U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Stephen Johnson asking the agency to provide her office with a detailed account of all the actions it had taken in the biosolids area for the past five years. EPA responded with a comprehensive list of the activities that the Agency is taking on the biosolids program. NACWA is concerned that biosolids opposition groups, armed with the recent press coverage, may have a more receptive audience this year and going into the 111th Congress and a new Administration. NACWA also understands that the Center for Food Safety Coalition, which unsuccessfully petitioned EPA to ban the land application of biosolids in 2003, is encouraging Boxer’s investigation. Perhaps of greatest concern is the hearing that Senator Boxer is planning that could take place as early as mid-May. The recent national press coverage by the AP will no doubt be a key discussion topic for the hearing and NACWA is working to ensure that the clean water community’s perspective will be represented during the hearing. It is important to note that NACWA’s President Chris Westhoff was interviewed by the AP reporters last year, providing valuable information on the safety and importance of the land application of biosolids. His and the Association’s views have not been included in any of the AP stories to date. NACWA will be coordinating with the Water Environment Federation (WEF) and other biosolids stakeholders as we work on your behalf to ensure that land application remains a viable option for communities. NACWA cannot comment on the specifics of the studies cited in the recent AP stories, but the information below may be helpful should you receive any questions about this issue. National Press Focuses on Local Stories to Question Biosolids SafetyGeorgia Biosolids Case Baltimore Study on Using Biosolids to Remediate Lead Contamination
In addition, experts from the Johns Hopkins University who evaluated the initial study plans have again reviewed the study and have released a statement that further undermines the facts in the press coverage. NACWA is working to make this statement available to the NACWA membership. Please contact Chris Hornback at if you need additional information on the Johns Hopkins statement. This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it Based on its review of the AP story and the feedback from those involved in the study, NACWA notes that:
Unfortunately, given the more than a year of interviews and information-gathering the AP has done on this issue, coupled with the upcoming Senate hearing on this issue (see below), which will provide the media with a national news hook, this is likely not the last such story from AP and other media outlets. NACWA Coordinating Municipal Effort on Senate HearingNACWA organized a call with WEF, the National League of Cities (NLC), and the California Association of Sanitation Agencies (CASA), along with other municipal stakeholders, to develop a concerted effort aimed at seeking to ensure a rational discussion and a balanced roster of witnesses for the biosolids hearing that Senator Boxer is planning. This hearing will provide critical insight into Senator Boxer’s motivations and could be the determining factor in whether biosolids land application will face more concerted opposition in the future. NACWA will be drafting a letter to Senator Boxer and the other EPW Committee members, with input from the fellow organizations on the conference call, to be finalized and sent next week. This letter will detail and underscore the importance and safety of biosolids land application. NACWA will be working with its members in California and other key states to secure similar letters from utilities and key elected officials to Senator Boxer and other key members of the EPW Committee. If you have any additional input or concerns, please contact Chris Hornback at . This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it |
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Winter Conference
Next Generation Compliance …Where Affordability & Innovation Intersect
February 4 – 7, 2017
Tampa Marriott Waterside Hotel
Tampa, FL