What challenges does the biosolids fertilizer industry face?

Governmental ordinances sometimes make production difficult or prohibited. We are working to change that. Osceola County’s Ordinance governing biosolids composting are very restrictive and the agricultural community needs your help with a code revision to allow distribution of this resource to landowns. Even if your interest is outside of Osceola County or agriculture, your endorsement will show support for amending ordinances statewise. Our efforts will set a statewide precedent.

Currently, in Osceola County, part of the Land Development Code includes a couple of restrictive stipulations. We have included the problematic sections of the code below, and bolded the parts we hope to change.

Osceola County Land Development Code

Section L.3 states, “Buffer/setback requirements shall be as provided in the FAC [Florida Administrative Code], as amended, with the following additional requirements: any portion of the proposed facility shall be located not less than one thousand five hundred (1,500) feet from any occupied building (except for occupised buildings in the proposed facility) or well and/or five hundred (500) feet from any property line, water body or wetland.”

Section L.5.c states, “All activities related to the Biosolids Treatment Facility, including any imported raw materials, processing of partially treated and fully treated materials, and storage, must be conducted inside an enclosed building (building or structure must have a roof and four (4) walls, which fully enclose the interior of the building from the floor to the ceiling, except for doors or mechanical ventilation systems in compliance with this Code) with an impervious floor and system for preventing leachate from leaking into the soils (e.g., approved liner beneath concrete, etc.) and groundwater beneath or surrounding the building.”