Regulation
U.S. EPA
- EPA Region 10 Waste-derived Fertilizer and Recycling issues. Links to a waste-derived fertilizers fact sheet, waste-derived fertilizer administrators for Washington, Oregon, and Idaho, and meeting notes from several EPA Stakeholder meetings http://yosemite.epa.gov/R10/OWCM.NSF/fertilizer/wfertilizer
- Fertilizer Regulation 'home page' http://www.epa.gov/epaoswer/hazwaste/recycle/fertiliz/index.htm
- Fertilizer Fact Sheet EPA530-F-97-053 (1997). This Fact Sheet provides good background information. It is, however, a very sanitized (and early) scope description.
- Zinc Fertilizer Rule 40 CFR 261, 67 Fed Reg 48393 (July 24, 2002) http://www.epa.gov/epaoswer/hazwaste/recycle/fertiliz/fert-fr.pdf
- RCRA Regulations, 40 CFR 260 et seq. (hazardous waste regulations) http://www.epa.gov/epaoswer/osw/laws-reg.htm#regs
- Special Waste Program - Cement Kiln Dust (CKD)
http://www.epa.gov/epaoswer/other/ckd/index.htm
This Web page provides an outline of the legislative and regulatory history, and current status of the CKD exemption and proposed regulations. Links to key regulatory and technical documents are also provided. CKD is known to contain numerous toxic substances. CKD is used in fertilizer (See Zinc Fertilizer Rule).
- Mining Waste Program
http://www.epa.gov/epaoswer/other/mining/index.htm
Mining wastes include waste generated during the extraction, beneficiation, and processing of minerals. Most extraction and beneficiation wastes from hardrock mining (the mining of metallic ores and phosphate rock) and 20 specific mineral processing wastes (see side bar below) are categorized by EPA as "special wastes" and have been exempted by the Mining Waste Exclusion from federal hazardous waste regulations. Mining waste is used in fertilizer (See Ironite.)
- Mineral Processing Waste Program
http://www.epa.gov/epaoswer/other/mineral/index.htm
Mineral processing typically generates waste streams that bear little or no resemblance to the materials that entered the operation. These operations most often destroy the physical structure of the mineral, producing product and waste streams that are not earthen in character. Mineral processing operations generally follow beneficiation and include techniques that often change the chemical composition of the ore or mineral, such as smelting, electrolytic refining, and acid attack or digestion.
Twenty mineral processing wastes, specified in the September 1, 1989 final rule (54 FR 36592), qualify for the Bevill Exclusion as “low toxicity, high volume wastes.” The remainder of mineral processing wastes are regulated under RCRA and are subject to Land Disposal Restrictions according to the May 26, 1998 final rule (63 FR 28555).
Due to the complicated history and evolution of the regulation of mineral processing wastes, answering the simple question of which wastes are regulated can be complex. For an in-depth overview, visit EPA’s Compliance Assistance Web site for the mineral processing sector
U.S. EPA CERCLA (Superfund)
- Listing the Iron King mine (source of raw material for Ironite fertilizer) on the 'Superfund' list. http://www.epa.gov/superfund/sites/npl/nar1779.htm
Note: Listing on the National Priority List (NPL = the Superfund list) "does not in itself reflect a judgment of the activities of its owner or operator, it does not require those persons to undertake any action, nor does it assign liability to any person." Read this to mean that simply being listed on the NPL is not a finding of liability. The list does, however, signify that the site is one of the most highly contaminated sites in the State for which federal funds are needed to complete remediation.
The question to ask is: When you purchase a fertilizer, such as Ironite, whose source material comes from a Superfund site, do you care who was at fault for making the site so contaminated? Or, do you really care that the contaminated material is going onto your garden, yard, ball fields and other places children and pets are exposed?
U.S. Dept of Agriculture
- USDA Natural Resources Conservation Svc., Natural Resources Conservation Laws, Chap 11 - State Nutrient, Pesticide and Seed Laws.
USDA Laws & Regulations for Organic Certification http://www.usda.gov/wps/portal/!ut/p/_s.7_0_A/7_0_1OB?navid=ORGANIC_CERTIFICATIO&parentnav=LAWS_REGS&navtype=RT
- Rodale Institute, Organics in the News, January 27, 2005. Describes the gap between allowed use of the word "organic" for fertilizer v. USDA's Organic Standards http://www.newfarm.org/columns/org_news/jan05/org_fertilizer.shtml
Note: the federal organic regulations do not prohibit waste-derived synthetic fertilizer use in 'certified organic' operations.