20
Oct
USDA and EPA Pushing Coal Ash for Agriculture Despite Toxicity Uncertainty
(Beyond Pesticides, October 20, 2009) The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) are asking farmers to use coal ash to grow their crops, despite a paucity of research on possible risks, according to documents released October 15, 2009 by Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility (PEER). USDA endorses use of coal combustion wastes by farmers “for crop production,†while acknowledging uncertainty on the extent to which “toxic elements†are absorbed into produce entering the market. Beyond Pesticides points out that coal ash is just one of many toxic products “recycled†into fertilizer and encourages people to avoid chemical fertilizers all together in favor of compost and other organic methods. This month, USDA enters the final year of a three-year partnership with EPA as part of a larger effort by the American Coal Ash Association, the Electric Power Research Institute and others to “promote appropriate increased use of†coal ash in agriculture. The implementing Memorandum of Understanding obliges USDA to generate “documentation of the effectiveness, safety and environmental benefits, including bioavailability of trace elements such as mercury, arsenic and seleniumâ€Â¦to satisfy the concerns of producers, generators, regulators and the public.†According to EPA, agriculture annually uses more […]
