The Battle Over Regulating Biodigesters
The current West Michigan controversy surrounding permitting for a facility that processes pre-consumer food waste into fuel is a stark reminder of the delicate balance between environmental protection and economic interests. While proponents of the facility tout its benefits in terms of waste reduction and energy production, a closer look reveals serious questions about the true cost – and actual color – of this “green” technology.
This challenge to biodigester permitting is the proverbial camel’s nose under the edge of the tent when it comes to another kind of biodigester – the type that processes the massive waste stream generated by livestock confinements: a potent cocktail of manure, food scraps, and other organic materials, their toxicity concentrated by the digestate process. While proponents claim that digestate can be safely applied to farmland as fertilizer, there simply is not enough farmland in Michigan to absorb the amount of sewage processed by a proposed wave of taxpayer-subsidized manure biodigesters. Hundreds of millions of gallons of urine and feces, more than the human sewage of all ten million Michiganders combined.
The potential for groundwater pollution is enormous. Manure biodigester waste contains high levels of nitrates, phosphorus, and other harmful contaminants that leach into the ground and contaminate drinking water sources when applied to land. This is particularly worrisome in Michigan, where a significant portion of the population relies on private wells for drinking water.
Another concern is air pollution. The anaerobic digestion process releases methane, a potent greenhouse gas, into the atmosphere. Applying digestate to land can lead to emissions of ammonia, a harmful air pollutant that contributes to respiratory problems.
Long-term impacts of applying digestate to soil are not fully understood. Some studies show that it can lead to soil compaction and reduced fertility. Others raise concerns about antibiotic-resistant bacteria developing in digestate-treated soils, posing a threat to human and animal health.
In the face of these concerns, Michigan’s Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (EGLE) has taken the right first step to protect human health and the environment, by requiring facilities to comply with the standard testing and monitoring requirements already in place for municipal sewage, and implement measures to mitigate the risks of environmental contamination.
However, digester operators are pushing back, arguing that these common sense regulations are too costly and burdensome. They claim that regulation will force them to shut down, resulting in job losses and lost revenue, but job projections for most biodigesters are minimal. This is really about investor profits. The deep pockets behind pricey manure biodigesters are in line for huge state and federal tax subsidies. Then, when the facilities are built, they’ll shift the environmental costs of their operations onto the public in the form of polluted water, contaminated soil, and degraded air quality. Taxpayers will also continue to cough up funds for water quality programs to counteract the pollution caused by land application of digestate.
The Great Lakes state of Michigan cannot afford to bear these burdens. The environmental and public health risks associated with poorly regulated digesters are simply too great. We must stand firm and ensure that these facilities are held accountable for the full cost of their operations, including the cost of protecting the environment and public health.
This is not just about one digester in West Michigan. It’s about setting a precedent for how we manage animal waste and develop genuinely sustainable energy in the 21st century. We can’t afford to sacrifice human health, quality of life, and environmental protection on the altar of short-term economic gain for a handful of wealthy investors masquerading as “green” energy champions.
It’s time for our regulators and elected officials to reject the siren song of Big Manure.
