Casey, Here's a Yahoo repost re heavy metals:
<Does the product meet the standard with respect to the Heavy Metal's content?> shoe #3827
<It is my understanding that TTRIF also tests waste coming to make sure there are no heavy metals to begin with. I think the statement regarding acceptance of industrial waste (which the Company does not do) is correct as that is where the real risk lies with heavy metals.>
antares63 and shoe,
The only heavy metal coming from these plants might be a little Ozzy O on the radio!
I wish the above were a true statement. The TRUTH is... the end product, agricultural fertilizer, WILL CONTAIN HEAVY METALS.
In Massachusetts, for example, the agricultural fertilizer produced by the proposed Ft. Devens TMP (permitted for residual biosolids) will be required to meet the Mass DEP's Sludge Regulations, 310 CMR 32.00 for land application. It is my understanding that the fertilizer's heavy metals content can be diluted to meet this standard.
<Okay! folks what is the market for the end product of sewage sludge?> shoe #3827
That is to say, what is the market for agricultural fertilizer? That answer is obvious. The question to me is...what is our COMPETITION in this market!
Back in July, the Seattle Times did an investigative series ("Fear in the Fields") which IMO, will end up blowing the roof off the $15 billion-a-year US commercial fertilizer industry.
Here's a link to Part 2 of the series:
wln.com
Fertilizer in the US, unlike food, animal feed, pesticides, herbicides and SEWAGE SLUDGE- is not controlled by US federal law! THE US HAS NO CURRENT LIMITS ON HEAVY METALS IN FERTILIZER! There is no federal law limiting the amounts of contaminants or requiring that they be disclosed to consumers.
The Seattle Times investigation found that, "across the nation, industrial wastes laden with heavy metals and other dangerous materials (including dioxins) are being used in fertilizers and spread over farmland. The process, which is LEGAL (in fact, SANCTIONED by the US EPA under the guise of promoting waste recycling) saves dirty industries the high costs of disposing of hazardous wastes).
US fertilizer producers aren't required to list toxic substances, such as heavy metals, on fertilizer labels, only nutrient levels. To the degree they regulated at all, it's on a state-by-state basis. Every state has a fertilizer regulator, but they don't check for heavy metals even when they know the metals exist. They only check for nutrients listed on the label!
Can any of you believe this? One POWERFUL lobby! "60 Minutes" kind of stuff!
Thankfully, this MORALLY BANKRUPT practice is finally being exposed! On 1-8-98, Washington Governor Gary Locke proposed limiting levels of nine heavy metals- including lead, arsenic and cadmium- and REQUIRING they be listed on fertilizer ingredient labels. His bill may be amended to include dioxin, a potential carcinogen that state investigators JUST DISCOVERED in some fertilizers (the EPA, after a three-year study, said there is NO safe dose of dioxin. An extremely small, one-time dose can cause birth defects).
More recently (3-13-98), a group of state regulators, by UNANIMOUS vote is now recommending EVERY STATE ADOPT THE STANDARDS FOR HEAVY METALS BASED ON CANADA'S STANDARDS (Canada's limit for heavy metals such as lead and cadmium in fertilizer is 10 to 90 TIMES LOWER than the US limit for metals in sewage sludge). Here's the link:
lubbockonline.com
Looks like the playing field is about to be leveled! Commercial fertilizers will be subjected to the same quality standards as sewage sludge fertilizers.
Guess what effect this increased regulation will have? Higher hazardous waste disposal fees and HIGHER FERTILIZER PRICES in general (higher commercial fertilizer production costs will be passed on to the consumer in the form of higher prices). Of course, TTRIF's production costs will be unaffected by this AND we will enjoy the higher finished products prices!
If TTRIF's sludge fertilizer can pass muster in Massachusetts (one of THE most environmentally stringent states in the nation), the rest of the nation should be a cake walk!
Regards,
David Pickering
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