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Poisoning Ourselves
Toxic waste in fertilizer
by Rodger Herbst
In 1997, the Seattle Times published a series of articles by reporter
Duff Wilson, "Fear In the Fields: How Hazardous Wastes Become
Fertilizer." Wilson subsequently wrote a book: Fateful Harvest: The
True Story of a Small Town, A Global Industry, and a Toxic Secret,
which came out in the unfortunate month of September 2001.
After his articles appeared, a movement developed to regulate
fertilizer content. In Washington, the Department of Ecology adopted a
toothless set of standards known as the Washington Fertilizer Act.
Nothing was done to prevent adding dioxin to commercial fertilizer,
even though the EPA Dioxin Reassessment Document estimates that
average levels of dioxin in all Americans is at or approaching levels
where we can expect to see a variety of dioxin induced health effects,
including immunosupression, reproductive irregularities, heart disease
and cancer.
But we are assured by Ecology's rule that the concentration of heavy
metals such as mercury, lead, cadmium and arsenic in fertilizer is in
compliance with dangerous waste regulations. These metals are toxic to
humans and the natural environment. Lead has been known to cause
behavioral problems, learning disabilities, seizures and even death.
Mercury also causes neurological abnormalities including cerebral
palsy in children and severe deformations in animals. Arsenic and
cadmium may damage internal organs, skin and nerve function. Hazardous
waste-derived fertilizers are not labeled.
In November 2001, an EPA National Public Hearing was held in Seattle.
At that time, toxic wastes from mining, steel mills, pulp mills, and
other industries were made into fertilizer with virtually no federal
or state regulation. The EPA heard broad citizen support for
prohibition of the addition of dioxins to any fertilizer product and
the establishment of health-based standards for heavy metals and
labeling requirements which inform the consumer of the quantitative
amounts of all ingredients. But the result was based on Washington
State's weak rule. While industries had long been disposing of
hazardous wastes through fertilizer, the practice was not officially
authorized until passage of the federal rule.
Groups including Safe Food and Fertilizer, Family Farm Defenders, the
Oregon Toxics Alliance and the California Public Interest Research
Group (CALPIRG) argue that the "land ban" provisions of the Resource
Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) prohibit hazardous wastes from
being put in fertilizers that end up on farm fields and home gardens.
While treated wastes may be placed in land disposal facilities, the
facilities must be designed to prevent migration of the hazardous
wastes and have, at a minimum, double liners and leachate collection
systems. In 1994, the EPA banned a similar practice, in which
hazardous wastes were being used in road de-icing chemicals. The EPA
justified that ban by noting that hazardous wastes could not legally
be applied to the land in an uncontrolled manner. The concern is, of
course, that heavy metals could migrate through the soil and run off
into streams, possibly affecting marine and wild life, as well as
contaminating downstream sources of human water supply.
These public interest groups filed a lawsuit to overturn the EPA rule
in 2002. Their legal brief was to be due at the end of March, and the
case will go to court in August or September.
Contact Patty Martin, Safe Food and Fertilizer (509)787-4275 or (509)
679-8711, martin@nwi.net.
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