The Virginia Biosolids Council hosted a virtual informational session on Wednesday, September 23, featuring national experts who highlighted research on wastewater recovery and biosolids recycling.
Dr. Greg Evanylo, a member of the W4170 multistate workgroup, presented the group’s research-based rebuttal to the U.S. EPA’s Office of Inspector General (OIG) report on its biosolids program. He described the process by which members of the W4170 evaluated the risks of more than 360 biosolids-borne constituents which the OIG found wanting in scientific evidence to verify their safety.
Since the release of the OIG report, there have been several scientific rebuttals from various regional and national research communities, as well as the U.S. EPA Office of Water and Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance. The W4170 is a United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Multi-State Research Workgroup, a consortium of research universities, agencies, and experts who have more than 45 years of biosolids research history. Members of this group’s predecessors performed and evaluated much of the research that was used as the basis for the EPA’s biosolids management regulations codified under 40 CFR Part 503.
Read more here..