cleaner water but have few resources to deal with the toxic byproduct, also known as sludge. Unfortunately, the cleaner we want our water, the more sludge we produce.
Problem While the CWA seemed like a huge success for environmentalists and concerned citizens, the real problem of pollution was swept under the carpet. Even in the Declaration of Goals and Policy, the problem is clear, the focus was too narrow; Sec. 101. (a) states, “The objective of this Act is to restore and maintain the chemical, physical, and biological integrity of the Nation’s waters” (Federal Water Pollution Control Act). By specifically protecting our nation’s waters we allowed our pollution to be displaced to the land. The responsibility of administering and overseeing this law was granted to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), who should have been able to ensure the protection of our lands as well as our waters. However, that has not been the case because written into the law is an explicit statement that the EPA shall “encourage waste treatment management which results in the construction of revenue producing facilities…” (Sec. 201 (d)). As a result, what was formerly known as sewage sludge has been rebranded by the EPA as “biosolids.” The EPA defines biosolids as “the nutrient-rich organic materials resulting from the treatment of sewage sludge.” However it uses the words interchangeably, causing confusion. Under Title 40 part 503 of the EPA Standards for the Use or Disposal of Sewage Sludge, where it formerly read “Sewage Sludge” now reads “Biosolids” in brackets. Are they the same thing or not?
“ With the population expected to grow to twelve million by 2050, we desperately need a sewage system reform.” The problem here is not a question of whether sewage sludge and biosolids are the same thing, but the system as a whole. A system that creates millions of tons of toxic waste that pollutes our lands in order to prevent pollution of our water and subsidizes industrial waste management is inherently flawed, not to mention the fact that a profit is made from this. In accordance with EPA regulations, there are three options that municipalities can choose from to dispose of sludge: incineration, landfill, and sale of sludge as fertilizer. Of these three options, none are viable for the preservation of our environment. This system has never been a viable option, but there are even more pressing factors in the 21st century that make this such an urgent issue, yet one that is rarely discussed. On October 31st, 2011, the United Nations announced that the world population had reached seven billion. While they celebrated the new milestone, they also used it as a “call to action to world-leaders to meet the challenges that a growing population poses, from ensuring adequate food Chantal Uto | 121