Dan,
FYI, I'm not saying that the language contained in the PA regulations is
the best or appropriate to CA. What I've heard is that the result
of the regulations and practice in PA have accomplished what we have been
trying to do in CA - allow farmers to use urban organics more.
Gary
At 06:01 PM 6/19/2007, Dan Knapp wrote:
Hello all:
Regarding the regulations governing composting on farms in
Pennsylvania:
I respectfully submit that using the word "waste" when what you
actually mean is "recycle nutrients" is just the worst
industrial positioning imaginable for composting. Wastes are
worthless, but nutrients, properly managed, can be quite
valuable.
I've seen waste composting, and it wasn't pretty. I just remember
an unusually very smelly dirty mrf in Michigan somewhere and a big nearby
field on which was parked a forlorn compost turning machine with its
flails completely fouled and immobilized by film plastic bags. The
compost windrows were full of plastic and who knows what else. But
the field they sat on was a real field used for corn/soybean
rotation. That dirt got a big dose of garbage, some of which is
probably still there.
What does it matter that the materials have been discarded from one
source, so long as they can become valuable feedstocks after they've been
upgraded by recovery enterprises to market specs? Clean in, Clean
out. Source separation is best practice. Nutrient recycling
is best positioning. Regulations should say what we want, not just
what we don't want. And farmers using clean nutrient recycling
practices should be regulated least, not most.
Regulations need to be rewritten top to bottom to remove waste management
vocabulary, which stifles and retards ecologically superior disposal
methods. There are better ways to talk about what we do.
Thanks for the chance to comment.
Dan Knapp
Urban Ore, Inc., a Berkeley reuse and recycling business.
On Jun 19, 2007, at 4:44 PM, Gary Liss wrote:
Michael,
Consider the regulations governing composting on farms in
Pennsylvania. That's supposed to be a model:
On-Farm Composting
(PA Dept. of Environmental Protection)
http://www.depweb.state.pa.us/landrecwaste/cwp/view.asp?A=1338&Q=497955
Also, check out the following fact sheets and
guides:
On-Farm Composting Handbook by the Natural Resource,
Agriculture, and Engineering Service at Cornell University:
http://www.nraes.org/nra_order.taf?_function=detail&pr_id=60&_UserReference=33401D454D94D35A467866F7
On-Farm Composting Fact Sheet, Penn State, Agricultural
Engineering:
http://www.age.psu.edu/extension/factsheets/c/C3.pdf
Gary
At 03:47 PM 6/19/2007, Stephanie Barger wrote:
Hi Michael
You might want to check with some
actual farms/farming
Fetzer wines uses alot of composting
and we just had Strauss Family Farms speak at our Zero Waste event and
they get 95% of all their energy from their manure and then use the
residual for composting!
http://www.strausfamilycreamery.com/
Stephanie Barger, Executive Director
stephanie.barger@no.address
Earth Resource Foundation
P.O. Box 12364
Costa Mesa, CA 92627
www.earthresource.org
949-645-5163
"Learn more about Zero Waste! Presentations from Earth
Resource Foundation's Second Annual Orange County "Zero In on Zero
Waste: Don't Let Your Bottom Line Go to Waste" Conference on June
7th, 2007 are posted
http://www.earthresource.org/zerowaste.html
From:
crra_members@no.address [
mailto:crra_members@no.address] On Behalf Of Wonsidler,
Michael
Sent: Wednesday, May 09, 2007 9:22 AM
To:
crra_members@no.address;
GreenYes@no.address;
zerowaste_sd@no.address
Subject: [CRRA] Ordinances that facilitate on-farm composting
Importance: High
The County of San Diego is discussing revising local
ordinances to promote on-farm composting. Our region has a strong
agricultural community (Over 6,000 farms, ranks 5th in nation
in agricultural value), however our current local regulations are
restrictive when it comes to composting at farms. As a vital part of an
comprehensive organic materials management strategy, we view returning
organic materials to farms as ideal locations to encourage composting.
Can anyone send information on jurisdictions with
ordinances that promote on farm composting? We'd like to review model
ordinances before considering crafting our own.
Thanks for any leads!
Michael Wonsidler
Recycling Specialist
II
County of San Diego
Public Works
|
Solid
Waste Planning and Recycling
office:
858.874.4081
fax:
858.874.4058
5469 Kearny Villa Road | Suite 305 |
San Diego, California 92123
Michael.Wonsidler@no.address
__._,_.___
SPONSORED LINKS
Sober living environment
How to save the environment
Sustainable living
Your email settings: Individual Email|Traditional
Change settings via the Web (Yahoo! ID required)
Change settings via email:
Switch delivery to Daily Digest |
Switch to Fully Featured
Visit Your Group | Yahoo!
Groups Terms of Use |
Unsubscribe
__,_._,___
Gary Liss
916-652-7850
Fax: 916-652-0485
www.garyliss.com
Gary Liss
916-652-7850
Fax: 916-652-0485
www.garyliss.com
|