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Delays, delays Now, how many times do you know of a business begging for state regulation? Well, Bart did just that back in 1998 regarding compost standards. Quite a number of states already have standards and such states also have a number of active solid waste composting programs. But, this is Wisconsin, Land of Landfills… Well it’s been over three years and the latest schedule given me by the state for making state compost standards goes until May, 2006. And that schedule is already over three months behind. In the intervening time I’ve had some regulators propose limits that your breakfast cereal probably wouldn’t pass. That’s why we need state compost standards. Now, I know, this is Bart the Jack Pine Savage in little ol’ Oneida County, so what’s the rush? The big waste companies, and unfortunately some County landfills too, don’t really want or care about compost standards. Why that could reduce the amount of garbage we put into landfills! That’s revenues! Well politics and garbage does strange bedfellows make. It seems that a few folks in the DNR really don’t want to see much composting done either. Let me be clear here, I’M NOT SAYING THE ENTIRE DNR OR EVEN THE BUREAU OF SOLID WASTE, as there are a fair number of those folks who are chuckling and nodding their head in agreement as they read this harangue (now that’s a good word!). I’m only talking about a few folks in Madison who think that composting paper sludge in one case and food and paper wastes in another is tantamount to chemical attacks on the state of Wisconsin. Unfortunately, these are the same folks who have a big say in what happens to compost in this state. Now from a scientific standpoint, there’s not a lot to stand on. Some risk assessment models used have used acceptable risk levels paper and many foods could not meet. Another method has involved “standard shopping”, comparing state and European standards and choosing the lowest one for each element or chemical. The problem faced by these folks of whom I speak is that if we go through a public rule making process they have to pay attention to scientific literature and the previous two methodologies may not measure up. This would likely include a UW system professor or two on the standard committee. It has been reported to me that this would be a problem, “because, those are the same folks that taught Bart”. And so the strategy has been to delay and add as many frivilous requirements as possible. The nine plus year rule making schedule is one example. Another was the requirement to have Oneida County test for hypodermic needles in paper sludge compost. Why such a concern? Unfortunately, a letter written to me in 1998 by then DNR Secretary George Meyer after I spoke to the Natural Resources Board may provide some insight. In one paragraph the statement is made, “By composting rather than landfilling, solid waste generators avoid state “tipping fees”…our work on ch. NR 518 and 538, and composting, can be expected to result in decreased future revenues [to the Bureau of Solid Waste].” The letter was not actually written by Secretary Meyer, but reportedly was written by one of the “friends of composting”. Now in hind site, I see the folly of my efforts. If you want state standards, you don’t ask for them, you fight against them tooth and nail! |
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PO Box 400
Rhinelander, WI 54501
PO Box 400
Rhinelander, WI 54501
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