In Brief / en bref...
CASA Update on Response to OIG Report
The California Association of Sanitation Agencies (CASA) recently provided an update on the collective response to the U. S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Office of the Inspector General (OIG) biosolids report, issued in November. The OIG report criticized the federal biosolids program. The EPA entered into a resolution process with OIG to resolve five of the OIG recommendations. That resolution process ended in May 2019. The OIG recently accepted EPA’s final response and revised recommended corrective action plan. There were no changes to the OIG report. Copies of all the related documents, including a new strong response from the EPA Office of Water, are available at: https://www.epa.gov/office-inspector-general/report-epa-unable-assess-impact-hundreds-unregulated-pollutants-land.
CASA has been leading the effort in working with several universities (The Ohio State University and the University of Arizona) to develop a science-based response to the OIG report. NEBRA and others are contributing to these efforts. NEBRA has lots of information on the EPA OIG report on our website (https://www.nebiosolids.org/epa-oig-biosolids-report).
New EPA Rule Prohibits Pharmaceutical Flushing by Health Care Facilities
Effective August 21st, health care facilities are prohibited from flushing pharmaceuticals down the toilet under new rules from the U.S. EPA, which incorporated the new rule into its regulations for the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA), 40 CFR Part 266, Subpart P. The EPA created a new Section 505 that prohibits even very small quantity generators from discharging hazardous waste pharmaceuticals to a sewer system that passes through a publicly-owned treatment facility. The full rule can be found at: https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/FR-2019-02-22/html/2019-01298.htm
New Biosolids Association Established
NEBRA joins its regional biosolids association peers in applauding the successful efforts to establish the Southeast Biosolids Association (SEBA). The group formally established itself after having some success in advocacy for reasonable biosolids regulations in Georgia. The Georgia Department of Agriculture had proposed a Soil Amendment Rule that would have prohibited the sale of products containing biosolids in the State of Georgia. After considering all comments, the Department recognized that “the proposed rules had to be altered to ensure the quality and effectiveness of the soil amendment program.” Way to go SEBA, and good luck to you!
Pens Manufactured Using Biosolids
The inventor/designer of Sum Waste, Garrett Benisch, will be interviewed on WGBH Boston Public Radio on Monday August 19th at 1:20 PM. Garrett, a New York “designer working in sustainability”, has created these really cool pens that are manufactured using bioplastics which are made from biosolids. The pens get their ink from biosolids too! It saves the biosolids from going to landfill and you can compost/recycle the pens when they are empty. Check out www.sumwaste.com.
