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USDA Sec. Vilsack Appoints Sewage Sludge Propagandist from Washington State to New Urban Agriculture Advisory Committee

Author(s): 
Chrys Ostrander

Boy looking like he's gonna puke 'cause there's sewage sludge in his food.Appointment seen by critics as part of an effort to normalize the use of toxic municipal sewage sludge in urban agriculture such as community gardens which predominantly are utilized by low-income people of color to augment their food supply.

 

Sally Brown, Research Associate Professor of Soil Amendments, In-situ Remediation and Carbon Sequestration at the University of Washington is a "university representative" for a public/private advocacy organization called Northwest Biosolids that promotes the use of municipal sewage sludge as fertilizer for crops. She is one of twelve members of the recently impaneled advisory committee that is made up of agricultural producers and representatives from the areas of higher education or extension programs, non-profits, business and economic development, supply chains and financing.

We don't need the sewage sludge insanity that infects Washington state environmental policy to become the model that is applied nationwide, which this appointment to the advisory committee would seem to suggest.

Contact the Urban Agriculture Federal Advisory Committee to voice your objection to this appointment. Send an email to:

urbanagriculturefederaladvisorycommittee@usda.gov

Ask that Sally Brown be removed from the committee. Sewage sludge is a solid waste problem, not an urban agriculture issue. 

Background:

Since 1992, the Washington State Department of Ecology has regrettably been directed by the state legislature to maximize the "beneficial use" of biosolids ("biosolids" is what defenders of the practice of land application euphemistically call sewage sludge). This has resulted in decades of state-generated propaganda trumpeting the "benefits" of land application of sewage sludge accompanied by vigorous organized efforts to de-legitimize scientific data that points out the inherent hazards of the practice. This scenario has played out in many states where sewage sludge is allowed to be used as fertilizer.

It is instructive to have a look at the Seattle-based quasi-public "Northwest Biosolids" organization. They share a building on Jackson St. with the King County Solid Waste Division. The Board of Directors of Northwest Biosolids is made up of an incestuous amalgam of private waste treatment industry representatives and governmental municipal waste management officials all of whom share a financial interest in the continuation of the industry that has grown up around the land application of sewage sludge. Northwest Biosolids has an enormous budget to keep pumping out lies about the "safety" of biosolids. It adopts policy positions, lobbys for them and authorizes participation in litigation to defend the industry. You know it's gotta be bad when they have to set up a massive disinformation campaign and hit squad to maintain their ill-gotten privilege. Northwest Biosolids is like the Koch brothers of sludge.

Northwest Biosolids is behind the following tragedy waiting to happen.

King County thinks intentionally poisoning community gardeners is environmental justice.

The sewage sludge issue affects home gardeners and community gardeners because some composts and potting soils for consumer use also contain sewage sludge (biosolids). Many community gardens in Spokane, WA have insisted that the local commercial compost manufacturing company, Barr Tech, only sell them the version of their compost that does NOT contain biosolids out of safety concerns. King County brags that "in 2020, our three regional treatment plants and two smaller treatment plants together produced 117,092 wet tons of biosolids that were land applied to forests and farms in Washington..." and says "King County shares [the Department of] Ecology’s commitment to environmental justice."

This is their idea of environmental justice:

"King County has partnered with community gardens to provide donations of biosolids compost. We wish to underscore Ecology’s commitment ... to examining biosolids and environmental justice comprehensively, including opportunities for positive outcomes."

Apparently, King County thinks intentionally poisoning community gardeners is environmental justice.

All community gardeners in Seattle and the greater metropolitan area should vociferously reject this proposal. 

Here's who to contact. Say "No thanks!" to free poison disguised as fertilizer.
Kamuron Gurol, Division Director
King County Department of Natural Resources and Parks
Wastewater Treatment Division
kamuron.gurol@kingcounty.gov
206-263-5767

If you would like to know more about this issue, here are some resources:
Sierra Club of Washington: Controlling Sewage Waste: Washington State Ecology’s Approach versus Science

Protect Mill Canyon Watershed is a grassroots committee based in Spokane, WA and Davenport, WA that organizes for a ban on land-application of sewage sludge.

Inland Foodwise Online: It’s Time to Stop Spreading Sewage Sludge on Washington Farms Say Environmental and Food Safety Advocates

SAMPLE LETTER
Email: urbanagriculturefederaladvisorycommittee@usda.gov

I am dismayed and outraged that USDA Sec. Vilsack has appointed a sewage sludge propagandist from Washington state to the New Urban Agriculture Advisory Committee.

This appointment can only be seen as part of an effort to normalize the use of toxic municipal sewage sludge in urban agriculture such as community gardens which predominantly are utilized by low-income people of color to augment their food supply.

Sally Brown, Research Associate Professor of Soil Amendments, In-situ Remediation and Carbon Sequestration at the University of Washington is a "university representative" for a public/private advocacy organization called Northwest Biosolids that promotes the use of municipal sewage sludge as fertilizer for crops.

The Board of Directors of Northwest Biosolids is made up of an incestuous amalgam of private waste treatment industry representatives and governmental municipal waste management officials all of whom share a financial interest in the continuation of the industry that has grown up around the land application of sewage sludge. Northwest Biosolids has an enormous budget to keep pumping out lies about the "safety" of biosolids. It adopts policy positions, lobbys for them and authorizes participation in litigation to defend the industry. You know it's gotta be bad when they have to set up a massive disinformation campaign and hit squad to maintain their ill-gotten privilege. Northwest Biosolids is like the Koch brothers of sludge.

I understand that Northwest Biosolids supports a dangerously misguided program in King County, WA to donate biosolids compost to community gardeners. With farms all over the country discovering PFAS contamination of meat, milk and crops as a result of sewage sludge being applied as fertilizer, it is unconscionable to consider, as King County does, that this program of intentional poisoning of community gardeners is being touted as an example of environmental justice. It is the exact opposite.

We don't need the sewage sludge insanity that infects Washington state environmental policy to become the model that is applied nationwide, which this appointment to the advisory committee would seem to suggest.

I ask that Sally Brown be removed from the advisory committee. Sewage sludge is a solid waste problem, not an urban agriculture issue. Please replace her with someone who can contribute something useful to the work of the committee.

Edition: 
February, 2022