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Trustee Archive
Biosolid fertilizers, often called sludge, are made of processed sewage from municipal waste treatment facilities. This nutrient, like other types of manure fertilizer, is then applied to croplands and rangelands. About 7 million tons of dry sewage sludge is used or discarded each year. This includes 4 million tons that are used as fertilizer on farms, parks, golf course lawns and gardens. Dioxins, toxic heavy metals and harmful organisms are often present in biosolid fertilizer. The EPA has decided against regulating dioxins in land-applied sludge because it believes there to be minimal danger from it.
Sludge proponents claim that when the levels of these contaminants are low, biosolids offer legitimate help for land that is deficient in nitrogen or phosphorus. They also say biosolids reduce the costs of sewage treatment and the need for landfills.
Biosolid critics want to label all products that have been treated with sludge, while supporters believe this labeling is unnecessary.
Proposed Legislation: H.R.2064 - Sewage Sludge in Food Production Consumer Notification Act (115th Congress 2017-2018)
Prospective Sponsor: Rep. Ron Kind (WI) |
- I oppose reforming current biosolid fertilizer usage policy and wish to donate resources to the campaign committee of Speaker Kevin McCarthy (CA).
- I support requiring the labeling of food that is produced on land to which sewage sludge has been applied; the labeling of poultry or livestock that were raised, or that consumed animal feed produced on land treated with biosolids, and wish to donate resources to the campaign committee of Rep. Ron Kind (WI) and/or to an advocate group currently working with this issue.
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| Winning Option
»» No issues were voted |
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I support requiring the labeling of food that is produced on land to which sewage sludge has been applied; the labeling of poultry or livestock that were raised, or that consumed animal feed produced on land treated with biosolids, and wish to donate resources to the campaign committee of Rep. Ron Kind (WI) and/or to an advocate group currently working with this issue.
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- Representative
If elected as a trustee, the campaign committee of Rep. Ron Kind (WI) will be unconditionally awarded the funds pledged to this issue along with a letter requesting him to favorably consider either reintroducing H.R.2064 - Sewage Sludge in Food Production Consumer Notification Act (115th Congress 2017-2018), or a similar version thereof.
- Rodale Institute
If elected as a trustee, the Rodale Institute will be awarded the funds pledged to this issue along with a letter requesting these funds be used to advocate for reducing the use of biosolid fertilizers and to promote organic farming methods.
The mission of the Rodale institute is to assist farmers in successfully transitioning to organic, conduct research on organic farming methods and their impact, and educate consumers on the benefits of organic for people and planet. Widely recognized as the birthplace of the organic movement. Since 1947, Rodale Institute has pioneered a better, natural, and more responsible way of farming by conducting research into the cultivation of healthy, living soils. Rodale Institute is home to the longest-running side-by-side comparison of organic vs. conventional farming practices (started in 1981), and our research focus areas include developing organic solutions to pests, disease and weeds, mitigating and adapting to climate change, and growing nutrient dense foods.
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- No trustee votes received.
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| Poll Opening Date |
April 10, 2023 |
| Poll Closing Date |
April 16, 2023 |
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