Despite apparent problems at a biosolids processing facility in Philadelphia, employees maintain that the place is safe and should continue operation.
"Every day, compost specialist Michael Keough shovels sludge at the processing facility that makes everyone driving into the city on I-95 roll up their windows and wonder just what that stench is. Although neighbors and environmentalists insist the biosolids he stands in are toxic, Keough says the job he's held for 18 years has never aggravated his asthma or caused other health problems."
"While the city boasts that outsourcing would save millions, quell environmental concerns and eliminate noxious odors, employees counter that it would cost taxpayers more money, hurt the environment and address a harmless odor."
FULL STORY: The Sludge Report

Planetizen Federal Action Tracker
A weekly monitor of how Trump’s orders and actions are impacting planners and planning in America.

Maui's Vacation Rental Debate Turns Ugly
Verbal attacks, misinformation campaigns and fistfights plague a high-stakes debate to convert thousands of vacation rentals into long-term housing.

San Francisco Suspends Traffic Calming Amidst Record Deaths
Citing “a challenging fiscal landscape,” the city will cease the program on the heels of 42 traffic deaths, including 24 pedestrians.

Defunct Pittsburgh Power Plant to Become Residential Tower
A decommissioned steam heat plant will be redeveloped into almost 100 affordable housing units.

Trump Prompts Restructuring of Transportation Research Board in “Unprecedented Overreach”
The TRB has eliminated more than half of its committees including those focused on climate, equity, and cities.

Amtrak Rolls Out New Orleans to Alabama “Mardi Gras” Train
The new service will operate morning and evening departures between Mobile and New Orleans.
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