HARRISBURG, Pa. (WHP) — A bipartisan bill that recently passed the state House could change what goes in to Pennsylvania farmers’ fertilizer—and supporters say it might just smell better.
House Bill 586, sponsored by Rep. Paul Friel (D-Chester), would implement certain guidelines when it comes to the use of something called “noxious food processing residual,” or FPR, on farmland.
“FPR is exactly what it sounds like — waste left over from food manufacturing, which can include vegetable peelings, raw meat scraps, and liquid like cleaning wastewater that includes blood, fat, hair, and feathers,” legislators wrote in a memo about the bill.
The Hill Farm in Harrisburg weighed in on what the fertilizer inputs could mean for long-term soil health and food production.
“Good agriculture you’re not just growing food, you’re growing good soil,” Tannon Herman, co-founder and executive director of Wildheart Ministries, said. “What this bill is addressing is helping regulate something to make sure we don’t compromise our ability to produce food in the future, as well as ultimately poisoning our food system.”
Herman also warned about long-term consequences, saying it’s important that Pennsylvania “stays in pace” with surrounding states, even if it’s not as cheap.
Herman emphasized the perspective of farmers focused on long-term results saying, “this isn’t about making money,” he said. “This is about stewarding land, and taking care of their family for generations to come.”
Representatives said using FPR is a cheaper way to increase the amount of organic matter in soil, but it’s also been known to contribute to groundwater and well contamination issues in Pennsylvania.
Lawmakers said out-of-state companies also look at FPR as a cheap way to dispose of waste when compared with the cost of traditional removal.
“Our surrounding states have largely banned the practice, which means Pennsylvania is being targeted by out-of-state companies looking to dump their waste for a reduced cost,” the memo reads.
Lawmakers pointed to a lack of regulations and oversight when it comes to the use of FPR. They said the source of the materials isn’t tracked or tested, and there’s no complaint system for people with concerns about the impacts of FPR on their homes and lives.
The FPR manual has not been updated since June 1994 and is woefully outdated.
The bill would amend Pennsylvania’s Solid Waste Management Act to create classifications of various sources of FPR based on their potential risk to farms and communities.
It would also require records be kept of what’s inside FPR used on Pennsylvania farms, along with requiring FPR that’s sourced from animal products and waste to be “processed by a digester or another means of odor control,” before it’s stored or used on farmland.
The bill passed the Pennsylvania House April 15 with a vote of 172-29.
It’s now up for consideration in the state Senate’s Environmental Resources & Energy committee.