During its July 10 meeting, Caroline County Planning Commissioners considered new legislation that will strengthen local oversight on the storage of food processing residuals, also known as industrial sludge or dissolved air flotation (DAF) material.
Over the past year, residents in Caroline County have experienced the negative health and nuisance effects of irresponsible food processing residual handling. This caused County Commissioners in December to pass a moratorium on the use of land or structures for the material’s storage. Hundreds of residents attended the hearings, many testifying that the rancid material posed a threat to their local environment, rivers and streams, public health, and way of life.
In March, legislation passed in Maryland’s General Assembly that now requires a permit for sludge handling and application on farmland. Caroline County Commissioners were supportive of the bill and instrumental in its passage. This new action from the Commissioners compliments the popular bipartisan state legislation, requiring those who store food processing residuals in Caroline to hold a permit and meet certain conditions intended to protect the public and environment from harm.
A public hearing for this bill is tentatively set for July 23.
In a statement, Chesapeake Bay Foundation Maryland Advocacy Director Alan Girard said:
“This county legislation comes at the right time in the right place.
“The overapplication and irresponsible storage of food processing residuals is an urgent threat to our environment and health. People across Caroline County and Maryland have made their concerns about this material known, and this legislation is a direct response to that.
“Storage and use of food processing residuals should not put the public and waterways at risk. Caroline County’s proposed bill works together with state legislation passed earlier this year to stop Maryland farms from being a dumping ground for this putrid material. We commend Caroline County commissioners for continuing to find solutions that protect communities, public health, and the environment.”
