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Re:Farmer Survey
Wed, 24 Sep 1997 23:11:35 -0400
Mr. Clarence W. Walker of Indust., Commercial, Muni., and Agri. Waste
Processing Systems & Eqpt. wrote:
> Bottom line...how do we convert organics that would otherwise be
> landfilled into a smouldering pathogen/carcinogen breeding anaerobic
> monutainous eyesore or burned?
[snip]
Is organic material such yard and garden wastes, animal manures,
agricultural vegetation linked to cancer? Not from what I can detect
from the International Agency for the Research of Cancer.
However, manmade chemicals--work place asbestos, solvents, chemicals in
printing inks, pesticides, some chemicals that may be in fertilizers,
diesel and petroleum products, some cleaning agents, properties of
ethylene glycol ethers, toxic metals, including beryllium, radiation,
and numerous other human created substances are among the suspects.
http://www.iarc.fr/monoeval/allmonos.htm
These and other manmade chemical are highly concentrated in municipal
solid waste and therefore, landfill leachate.
http://www.envirolink.org/pubs/rachel/rhwn090a.htm
They may be attached to the organic fraction of the waste stream, such
as printing inks are attached to paper or mixed in with organic matter
in or when sewage sludge is composted.
Does composting destroy or temporarily dilute these fractions? When they
are continually laid down and ultimately tilled into the soil, are they
not accumulative?
Turning composted vegetation and manures into the soil has been
practiced by man and nature since time began. However, mixing composted
mixed waste is more recent. This apparently occurs due to the public's
acceptance of composting sorted materials, and their opposition to
incinerators, landfills, and dumping or burning of sewage sludge.
[snip]
> Making high quality, safe compost to rigid standards is part one..part > two is achieved when the organics are returned to the soil
[snip]
> and GETTING THE PRODUCT TO THE USERS
Why are the U.S.EPA standards for sewage sludge not as rigid as the
German or Dutch standards? Is this because the Dutch regulations would
more than likely eliminate mixed waste composting as an industry?
It is not in my family's best interest that mixed waste compost be
spread on farms or private and public lands. The reason many Americans
are turning to certified organics is because of the concern of toxic
substances being added during growing and processing. How sustainable is
spreading composted toxics onto the soils, crops?
BTW, I strongly recommend and participate in composting sorted organic
materials including vegetation (and food wastes) and animal manures.
Wherever composted materials have been added to my soil, the soil has
become rich and dark in the color due to added humus, and earth worms
are multiplying.
Susan Snow
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