PRINTER'S NO. 153
No. 20 Session of 1983
INTRODUCED BY LLOYD, SHOWERS, HASAY, WARGO, ITKIN, PRATT, COLE,
CAWLEY, TIGUE, MERRY, RUDY, MORRIS, COHEN, HALUSKA,
LETTERMAN, DURHAM, D. R. WRIGHT, RICHARDSON, COY, BELARDI,
LUCYK, TELEK, WOZNIAK, BURD, PERZEL AND McINTYRE, FEBRUARY 7,
1983
REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON RULES, FEBRUARY 8, 1983
A CONCURRENT RESOLUTION
1 Directing the Joint Legislative Air and Water Pollution Control
2 and Conservation Committee to conduct an investigation of the
3 land application of liquid and composted sewage sludge.
4 WHEREAS, Sludge is a product of the sewage treatment process
5 and sewage treatment plant operators have an obligation to
6 dispose of that sludge in an environmentally sound way; and
7 WHEREAS, Each option for sewage sludge disposal including
8 incineration, burial in a landfill, burial at sea, utilization
9 as an agricultural fertilizer and application to strip mined
10 land, involves certain costs and benefits and poses some risk to
11 the environment; and
12 WHEREAS, The land application of liquid and composted sewage
13 sludge, either to fertilize agricultural land or to aid in the
14 reclamation of strip mined land, poses a risk of the spread of
15 viruses and bacteria and a risk that heavy metals will enter the
16 food chain or the water supply in dangerous amounts; and
17 WHEREAS, The Federal Environmental Protection Agency and the
1 State Department of Environmental Resources have regulations and
2 guidelines with regard to the maximum amount of sewage sludge
3 which should be applied to land; the manner in which sewage
4 sludge is to be handled, stored and applied to land; and the
5 manner in which that application is to be subsequently monitored
6 in order to minimize any adverse environmental impact; and
7 WHEREAS, The regulations and guidelines are based on expert
8 scientific opinion which has been challenged in varying degrees
9 by some other members of the scientific community; and
10 WHEREAS, At least one state has imposed a moratorium on the
11 utilization of sewage sludge for agricultural purposes. Several
12 food processors have refused to use food produced on
13 agricultural land to which sewage sludge has been applied.
14 Sewage treatment plant operators in some states are placing
15 increasingly heavy reliance on incineration rather than land
16 application as the environmentally acceptable disposal method;
17 and
18 WHEREAS, Such developments in other states and decisions by
19 food processors have increased public skepticism in Pennsylvania
20 about the environmental consequences of the land application of
21 sewage sludge, notwithstanding the alleged benefit of sewage
22 sludge as a cost-effective agricultural fertilizer and as an
23 environmentally effective tool for quick reclamation of strip
24 mined land with the abatement of soil erosion and acid mine
25 drainage; therefore be it
26 RESOLVED (the Senate concurring), That the General Assembly
27 directs the Joint Legislative Air and Water Pollution Control
28 and Conservation Committee to conduct, or cause to be conducted,
29 an in-depth investigation of the short-term and long-term
30 environmental and public health consequences of the land
19830H0020R0153 - 2 -
1 application of liquid and composted sewage sludge; the adequacy
2 of the Department of Environmental Resources' regulations,
3 guidelines and monitoring to protect public health and the
4 environment from serious adverse consequences; and the proper
5 steps to be followed if adverse environmental or public health
6 consequences are detected; and be it further
7 RESOLVED, That the committee may contract with independent
8 scientists for the purposes of conducting all or part of the
9 investigation, provided that before it contracts for the
10 services of a scientist, it carefully scrutinizes the background
11 of the scientist to assure objectivity and freedom from any
12 conflicts of interest; and be it further
13 RESOLVED, That the committee may hold hearings, take
14 testimony, administer oaths and affirmations to witnesses and
15 conduct inquiries at such places as it deems necessary; and be
16 it further
17 RESOLVED, That the committee report its findings and any
18 recommendations it deems appropriate to the House of
19 Representatives and the Senate as soon as possible.
A24L82JRW/19830H0020R0153 - 3 -