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Full disclosure, reading this may change the way you look at eating your vegetables. A lawsuit is aiming to quite literally make US agriculture a lot less… shitty than the EPA allows. From The Guardian:
New legal action could put an end to the practice of spreading toxic sewage sludge on US cropland as a cheap alternative to fertilizer, and force America to rethink how it disposes of its industrial and human waste.
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Sludge is a mix of human and industrial waste that is a byproduct of the wastewater treatment process. Its disposal is expensive, and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) allows it to be spread on cropland as “biosolid” fertilizer because it is also rich in plant nutrients.
There’s usually a large disconnect between the food people eat and the process it took to get on their plate, but you’d think basic regulations would be preventing your broccoli from being raised on toilet water. The shit farmers are putting on our food isn’t just literally crappy — it’s dangerous. The widespread use of sludge has caused farmers to get sick, polluted drinking water, and contaminated meat, all in the name of saving a little extra money to meet our production needs.
The suit specifically targets the EPA for allowing PFOS- and PFOA-laden waste to be used. The presence of those chemicals have been tied to causing cancers and fertility issues.
A group known as PEER (Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility) gave the EPA notice of its intention to sue last February. If changes aren’t made and this goes to trial, there’s no telling how bad the things learned in discovery could be. In the meantime, it may be a good idea to learn how to get your nutrients from meditation — that’s probably healthier than whatever your local supermarket is selling.
Legal Action Could End Use Of Toxic Sewage Sludge On US Crops As Fertilizer The Guardian]
Chris Williams became a social media manager and assistant editor for Above the Law in June 2021. Prior to joining the staff, he moonlighted as a minor Memelord™ in the Facebook group Law School Memes for Edgy T14s. He endured Missouri long enough to graduate from Washington University in St. Louis School of Law. He is a former boatbuilder who cannot swim, a published author on critical race theory, philosophy, and humor, and has a love for cycling that occasionally annoys his peers. You can reach him by email at cwilliams@abovethelaw.com and by tweet at @WritesForRent.
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