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The "farmers" backing the EPA rule change are the industrial CAFO operations that produce open-air manure lagoons (literal lakes of shit) that cause all kinds o

The "farmers" backing the EPA rule change are the industrial CAFO operations that produce open-air manure lagoons (literal lakes of shit) that cause all kinds of environmental hazards. They can afford to care less because they typically don't live on-site like traditional farmers did. Hell when it comes to hogs they might not even be citizens - the largest hog producer, Smithfield, is owned by the Chinese now. If you can find an actual farmer - an endangered species as the industry consolidates into corporate CAFOs - I can promise you that they have no interest in drinking poison from their wells.

dchichkov 7y ago
Is seems, this also affects public roads. Here is, for example, methodology of application of these waste products to road surfaces in California: https://dot.ca.gov/-/media/dot-media/programs/research-innovation-system-information/documents/preliminary-investigations/brine-application-pi-a11y.pdf https://dot.ca.gov/-/media/dot-media/programs/research-innov... Doesn't seem there is much there on controlling amounts of lead, cadmium and radium in the material. No on the gradual accumulation on the road. As per the following paper, not much research had been done on the health effects of applying it on the roads and risks of dust particles lifted by vehicles being inhailed. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/325460511_Environmental_and_Human_Health_Impacts_of_Spreading_Oil_and_Gas_Wastewater_on_Roads https://www.researchgate.net/publication/325460511_Environme... And from its abstract: "Currently, state-by-state regulations do not require radium analyses prior to treating roads with O&G wastewaters.". So it looks like there is a loophole that doesn't specifically disallow to accumulate unlimited amounts of radioactive material with 1600 years decay half-life on public roads.
- labawi 7y ago
  > methodology of application of these waste products Linked document is interesting, however it is "Brine Application Equipment and Methodology" - methodology of deicing paved roads. Only mention of toxic or waste is an aside of brine use motivation - granular material in California is for some reason regulated as toxic waste. Mentioned in the document are NaCl, MgCl₂, CaCl₂ brines and beet juice, and in the survey section, some agencies also report use or discontent with proprietary deicing products. Going by the second document, O&G wastewater use on roads is not permitted in California. In the 13 states that do allow its use, the study mostly mentions use on unpaved roads as a dust suppressant in lieu of salt brine (neither a particularly good idea IMO).
paulie_a 7y ago
There is the myth of the small time farmer and hero status given to them. Outside of destroying the environment over the last 100 years. The local farm hardly exists anymore. I still do not understand why politics are so heavily placating this age of Billy, overweight in his coveralls chewing on a a bit of grain.
- waffle_ss 7y ago
  Farms are "placated" by politics because people don't like starving to death. Which is what happens if you let your food supply be freely buffeted by the boom and bust cycle of the market. That will remain true even after urbanites get their wish to live in pods and drink soy-roach slurry - somebody will still have to grow the soy and roach food. Farming - growing crops and animal husbandry - are what kickstarted human civilization, and still undergirds it to this day. Until recent history the vast majority of people were still farmers. It really comes automatically to most people, to appreciate the people who toil in the dirt to grow food and wrangle animals so they don't have to. To commune with nature, put in hard labor and in the end produce food is an almost spiritual experience that most people have a positive sentiment for, even if they have no desire to do it themselves. If you really feel none of that whatsoever I think you're missing part of your humanity.
  - paulie_a 7y ago
    The small time farmer is a myth in this era. It's industrial farms. There is no need for politicians to deep throat the .05 percent of the economy that is made up of small farmers

dchichkov 7y ago

Is seems, this also affects public roads. Here is, for example, methodology of application of these waste products to road surfaces in California: https://dot.ca.gov/-/media/dot-media/programs/research-innovation-system-information/documents/preliminary-investigations/brine-application-pi-a11y.pdf https://dot.ca.gov/-/media/dot-media/programs/research-innov... Doesn't seem there is much there on controlling amounts of lead, cadmium and radium in the material. No on the gradual accumulation on the road. As per the following paper, not much research had been done on the health effects of applying it on the roads and risks of dust particles lifted by vehicles being inhailed. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/325460511_Environmental_and_Human_Health_Impacts_of_Spreading_Oil_and_Gas_Wastewater_on_Roads https://www.researchgate.net/publication/325460511_Environme... And from its abstract: "Currently, state-by-state regulations do not require radium analyses prior to treating roads with O&G wastewaters.". So it looks like there is a loophole that doesn't specifically disallow to accumulate unlimited amounts of radioactive material with 1600 years decay half-life on public roads.

labawi 7y ago
> methodology of application of these waste products Linked document is interesting, however it is "Brine Application Equipment and Methodology" - methodology of deicing paved roads. Only mention of toxic or waste is an aside of brine use motivation - granular material in California is for some reason regulated as toxic waste. Mentioned in the document are NaCl, MgCl₂, CaCl₂ brines and beet juice, and in the survey section, some agencies also report use or discontent with proprietary deicing products. Going by the second document, O&G wastewater use on roads is not permitted in California. In the 13 states that do allow its use, the study mostly mentions use on unpaved roads as a dust suppressant in lieu of salt brine (neither a particularly good idea IMO).

paulie_a 7y ago

There is the myth of the small time farmer and hero status given to them. Outside of destroying the environment over the last 100 years. The local farm hardly exists anymore. I still do not understand why politics are so heavily placating this age of Billy, overweight in his coveralls chewing on a a bit of grain.

waffle_ss 7y ago
Farms are "placated" by politics because people don't like starving to death. Which is what happens if you let your food supply be freely buffeted by the boom and bust cycle of the market. That will remain true even after urbanites get their wish to live in pods and drink soy-roach slurry - somebody will still have to grow the soy and roach food. Farming - growing crops and animal husbandry - are what kickstarted human civilization, and still undergirds it to this day. Until recent history the vast majority of people were still farmers. It really comes automatically to most people, to appreciate the people who toil in the dirt to grow food and wrangle animals so they don't have to. To commune with nature, put in hard labor and in the end produce food is an almost spiritual experience that most people have a positive sentiment for, even if they have no desire to do it themselves. If you really feel none of that whatsoever I think you're missing part of your humanity.
- paulie_a 7y ago
  The small time farmer is a myth in this era. It's industrial farms. There is no need for politicians to deep throat the .05 percent of the economy that is made up of small farmers